Over the weekend, Mascarenhas powered the Phikwe Bowling Club to win the Francistown Major back-to-back. Her presence in the team catapulted her teammates to the title. The team comprises George Kieni, Mascarenhas, Susan Gaofhiwe, and Modisaotsile Mphotho. Speaking to MmegiSport, Mascarenhas said although she is 65, she still feels like a 21-year-old. She said playing for Phikwe Club brought special memories to her because she used to play for the club together with her late husband, Raymond, who was commonly referred to as Ray. “Every time when I win playing for Phikwe, I wish Ray was there so that I could hug him and say ‘Thank you for teaching me bowls.’ Ray was a magician on the greens. He represented Botswana at many World Champion of Champions Singles and Commonwealth Games amongst his other great achievements. Phikwe is my home club for life and I believe my presence in the team inspired my teammates. Things have now changed in bowls. The sport has improved because we see a lot of youngsters joining and they represent Botswana at international championships,” she said.
Mascarenhas said she enjoys playing in Francistown because the greens are fast and great to play. After the weekend tournament, Mascarenhas is already planning for the Botswana National Championships set for May in Gaborone. She has been a singles champion many times before, breaking records in the process. “I have been playing bowls since September 1989 and I reached my peak in 1990. I represented my country for the first time from 1992 until I relocated from Selebi-Phikwe to Maun in 2014 when BBA informed me that I could no longer be selected for the national team because I stay where I could not practice and do my assessment. We relocated to Maun because my husband, who was a surveyor at BCL Mine, anticipated the closure of the mine,” she said.
Mascarenhas mentioned that the passing of her husband was the most difficult moment in her life, which affected her play. “Later, I realised that he is not coming back, that is what the late John Gaborutwe (former bowls president) said to me, and he told me to do what we used to do. I decided to return to the greens and it helped me a lot seeing all my bowling friends again,” she said. Mascarenhas said her dream is to open a bowling club in Maun, but her efforts are failing because her application for a plot was rejected by the Tawana Land Board. Mascarenhas has represented Botswana in major international tournaments, including the World Bowls Championships, where she progressed to the quarterfinals in 2008 after being ranked 25th at the start of the tournament. She has won the BBA Masters title a remarkable 10 times, becoming the first local bowler to achieve that feat.
