Shannon Davies (17), who attends Fourways High School has been playing bowls for two years and has been invited to represent the Johannesburg Bowls Association in the U20 Inter-District Tournament in Bloemfontein from 4 to 7 April.
“Bowls is a sport I’d never thought I would play, but it is such a fun competitive sport that I was immediately challenged and drawn to it,” she said. “I love to play whether I win or lose, although I always play to win. The games that have been lost are lessons to learn from and the way forward.”
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Davies added that the tournament would definitely be a challenge for her and her teammates, but she would always give it her best shot. “I am very honoured to represent Johannesburg,” said Davies. The youngster is looking forward to playing against children of her own age group and said her passion for the game drives her to one day become a top South African player.
Davies said her motivation came from the people who believed in her, her father Garth and her coaches Cindy Hoffman and Jac de Villiers. She added that Protea bowls players Gerry Baker, Victor Siphali, and Tracy-Lee Botha inspired her.
The 17-year-old urged youngsters to take up bowls saying that it was not just a sport that old people played. “One of the reasons I play is to inspire my generation to participate in the game and get involved. It is a great team sport and it’s a game where people can have loads of fun.”
Edited by Allan Robertson.
