The Sunshine Coast Men’s District team has completed its preparation for the State District Sides Championships to be held at Cleveland Bowls Club from April 28 to May 1.
This is the marquee event on Queensland’s bowling calendar, with districts going head-to-head in men’s and women’s competitions.
The teams battle it out, not only for bragging rights, but also for the chance to be crowned Queensland’s top bowling district.
The Sunshine Coast had its final trial game against a strong Moreton Bay contingent on Sunday.
The Sunshine Coast provided four strong and well-balanced teams to defeat Moreton Bay 69-56 in the morning, followed up by a resounding 84-48 win in the afternoon.
The Sunshine Coast selectors are confident the teams, led by skips Brett Wilkie, Ryan Burnett, Kurt Brown and Wade Mutzelberg, have a better than average chance of picking up the title as the strongest district in the state.
Gold Coast Tweed, Gateway and Bundaberg are among their formidable opponents.
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The annual championship attracts 20 Queensland districts, representing all lawn bowlers in the state.
This event is a challenge for the distant districts of North West Qld, Tropical Far North Qld, Maranoa/Warrego and Condamine to test their skills against the stronger south east Queensland districts.
More than 550 bowlers and officials will converge on bowls clubs in the Cleveland area at the end of the month, providing a much needed boost to that area’s economy.
The writer, Barry Ashby, is district secretary of the Sunshine Coast Bowls Association and a leading Australian bowls official. His column appears each Tuesday in sunshinecoastnews.com.au featuring bowls news and results.
