Amanzimtoti bowler aims for gold
He believes that the game of bowls is constantly changing and encourages more people to take up the sport.
“The Amanzimtoti Bowling Club means a lot to me and this is where my heart is.” These are the sentiments on Dion Audie, 39, who is making strides as a bowls champ. He lived in Amanzimtoti for 21 years and his father, Gilberts Audie, was also a member of Amanzimtoti Bowling Club for many years before he passed on. He was a well-known accomplished bowler when he passed away in 2011. Dion played provincial bowls at the U25 level and managed to win gold in 2004.
“From there I got a call up to the provincial B side which I achieved a bronze in 2010. My first major achievement came after my dad died. I won the Port Natal singles, I definitely had mixed emotions about it because I wanted my dad to be there with me. From there, I won a few district tournaments and made my debut in the provincial A side. In my first outing with the A side, the team won gold in Johannesburg in 2012. Ever since then, I’ve been a permanent fixture in the A side. In 2016, I won the Port Natal singles again and currently I skip the opening side. This year has started not too bad also.”
Dion believes that he had filled his father’s shoes at the club and enjoys keeping his legacy alive.
“My dad was the reason why I took up bowls. He took up bowls in 1992 and I was in primary school. Bowls tend to be very demanding because it’s not a seasonal sport. There was limited time I spent with my dad so I decided to start playing bowls. I’ve never looked back since that day.”
He believes that the game of bowls is constantly changing and encourages more people to take up the sport.
“There is a perception that bowls is a fairly older person sport, but I can guarantee this sport is incredible. I would encourage anyone to try. I believe that there are plans to introduce it to schools as well. If you have the ball sports skill, bowls is easy to pick up. I encourage any youngsters to try a game of bowls. It is not as easy as it looks and it is very entertaining. You can get hooked very easily. A lot of my friends are younger than me and they play as well. We are moving away from the all-white uniforms and bringing some colour in. The whole game is changing and it’s always evolving.”
Dion hopes to make the Protea side in the near future.
“With more consistency, I believe that I can make the gold side.”
ALSO READ: Amanzimtoti Bowling Club’s Jane through to district bowls semis
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