Lofty’s reign at Amanzimtoti Bowling Club gets extended
To win a championship, things have got to go your way.
At the age of 85, Johannes ‘Lofty’ van Tonder is possibly the oldest singles champ in the history of Amanzimtoti Bowling Club. His reign as club champ will also be the longest since there is little possibility he will get the chance to defend his title this year after winning last August. He was also club champ in 2010 and 2012, and won two senior champs and three drawn pairs.
Lofty was born in East London and did his primary schooling in Craddock and attended Monument High School in Krugersdorp. He has always been a prolific competitor in all sports he tackled. He competed in high jump and hurdles at school, made the West Rand U21 rugby team, played hockey and cricket for Krugersdrop’s first team, and even played goalkeeper for Sturrock Park in the second division pro league. He won the snooker championship in Randfontein in 1959. He was a three-handicap golfer and captain of Randfontein in 1978.
He was transferred to Toti as chief draughtsman of construction for the Railways in 1978. He joined Twini Golf Club for four years, before becoming a member of Twini Bowling Club in 1982. He was Twini singles champ in 1986 and runner-up in the champ of champions (Port Natal) competition in 1987. He made the semi-finals of the Oppenheimer Pairs with the late Francis Billet and skipped his team to the semis in the Port Natal fours in 1988.
He moved to Doonside Bowling Club in 1990. He won the Port Natal fours as skip in 1995, was club champ and runner-up in the champ of champions in 1998. In 2000 he won the all-Natal senior singles and made the semis of the all-Natal fours as skip a year later.
READ ALSO: Bowlers continue play at Winkle Bowling Club under strict rules
He joined Toti BC in 2005. Last year he made the quarter-finals of the champ of champions, the quarter-finals as a second at the SA champs and quarter-finals at the SA pairs in Port Elizabeth. “To win a championship, things have got to go your way,” said Lofty. “There are better bowlers than me at the club, but on the day it was my day.”
Local bowlers are allowed to practice now, but no competitions are allowed yet. The club has pencilled in its mixed singles for September. “Bowls is a social sport. Now when we finish practice, we have got to leave. There is no socialising allowed at all, which is a shame,” said Lofty.
READ ALSO: Amanzimtoti racer is ready to burn rubber
DID YOU KNOW?
Click on the words highlighted in red to read more on this and related topics.
To receive news links via WhatsApp or Telegram, send an invite to 061 694 6047
The South Coast Sun is also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest – why not join us there?
Do you have more information pertaining to this story?
Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.
To receive our free newsletter click here
(Comments posted on this issue may be used for publication in the Sun)
