Bowlers vie for R75k prize

South Africa’s premier bowlers are getting ready to challenge each other once again on the bowling greens at the Bedfordview Country Club.

This time around the stakes are higher than ever.

The organiser, Mr Philip Neville, said the Accumulo Bowls Challenge has grown in stature and prestige since its humble beginnings as a Corporate Day back in 2010.

“Each year since then, the tournament has expanded its vision to not only recognise the incredible skill and passion of bowls enthusiasts across the country, but to also broaden public awareness and interest in the game. The aim is also to entice more young players and players from disadvantaged backgrounds to take up the game of lawn bowls,” said Mr Neville.

Now in its sixth year, the newly-branded Accumulo Bowls Festival 2016 is on-track to exceed all previous fundraising targets and prize monies.

“Participation in the festival is by invitation only. By all accounts, it has become the most prestigious and highly sought after bowls tournament in the country,” he said.

Mr Neville said top bowlers from as far afield as Namibia, the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, including Proteas, National and District bowlers have once again been invited to enter a team in the main tournament, the Accumulo Bowls Challenge. They are all eager to challenge last year’s winners to claim this year’s first prize of R75 000.

“The overall value of prize money that will be awarded to the four top teams is R190 000. This is the highest ever prize money awarded for bowls in South Africa. Bowlers in the first tournament, the Accumulo Holland Qualifier, will compete rigorously for the two top spots, which will qualify those two teams to participate in the main challenge the following week,” said Mr Neville.

He said what makes the new-look festival so exciting is the addition of a third tournament, the Accumulo Rainbow Trips. This was previously hosted by the Lombardy Bowls Club.

“This unique tournament focuses on promoting not only the country’s amazingly talented Disabled Bowlers, be it that they are visually impaired or physically disabled.

“Also, our young, up-and-coming bowls enthusiasts and players from disadvantaged backgrounds. A truly rainbow mix of ages, skill and ability, gender and colour from all walks of life, drawn from most, if not all, provinces,” said Mr Neville.

He said another important element to the Accumulo Bowls Festival is that all proceeds from the festival will go towards the Accumulo Fund-Raising Challenge that runs in tandem with each of the bowls tournaments. The primary beneficiaries of funds raised throughout the festival will be Pink Drive and More Balls Than Most (MBTM) charities for breast and testicular cancer, as well as Disability Sports charities.

The festival consists of three separate fundraising bowls tournaments. The Accumulo Holland qualifier was held on August 13 and 14. The main event, the Accumulo Bowls Challenge will be hosted from August 19 to 21 and the Accumulo Rainbow Trips will be held on August 27 and 28.