Play Begins at World Bowls Championships
Christchurch, New Zealand | November 28th, 2016
Team Canada is ready for action at the 2016 World Bowls Championships. After a week of acclimatization and training, our athletes are ready to put their best bowl forward and take on the top bowlers in the world.
Week one will feature the women playing singles and fours, while the men play pairs and triples. Kelly McKerihen (Toronto, ON) will represent Canada in the singles and after months of showing great success on the greens in the Southern Hemisphere, McKerihen is ready to compete. The women’s fours team represents a powerhouse of international experience with Leanne Chinery (Victoria, BC), Shirley Fitzpatrick-Wong (Winnipeg, MB) and Jackie Foster (Lower Sackville, NS). Rookie lead Pricilla Westlake (Delta, BC) may be new to international teams play at this level, but the team is looking to capitalize on her recent successes at the 2016 World Indoor Cup and North American Challenge.
“Even though New Zealand is now my home, I will always be a proud Canadian. I consider it a great honour to be able to wear the Maple leaf and represent Canada to the best of my abilities” stated Chinery.
On the men’s side, Ryan Bester (Hanover, ON) and Steven Santana (North Vancouver, BC) will be a heavy favourite in the pairs. These two are looking to continue the momentum from their gold medal win at the 2015 Asia Pacific Championships. Newcomer Cameron Lefresne (Enfield, NS) will be joining veterans Steve McKerihen (Toronto, ON) and Ryan Stadnyk (Niagara Fall, ON) in the men’s triples. This triples combination has yet to be tested in international play, however, their performance during the acclimatization camp indicates that they are ready to make a statement on the greens.
“I am excited for the opportunity to play with fellow triples teammates, McKerihen and Stadnyk. It is always a privilege to represent Canada” Lefresne stated prior to departing for World Bowls.
The team will be supported by BCB Perfomance Director Macky Singh and Managers Jean Roney and Don Caswell. BCB is fortunate to have Keith Roney volunteer his serves to support our teams while he is visiting New Zealand. Nick Watkins, Bowls Canada’s chief umpire, will be one of the umpires officiating at this event.
The schedule of play is packed with tough matches and long days but BCB Performance Director, Singh is optimistic, “we have a very strong group of athletes. Their experience from competing at previous Commonwealth Games, World Cups, Asia Pacific Championships, and other international events will be key in achieving podium performances”.
Matches to follow in week one:
|
Mon. Nov 28 |
Men’s Pairs: |
Singapore |
Hong Kong |
Jersey |
|
Men’s Triples: |
USA |
Namibia |
New Zealand |
|
|
Women’s Fours: |
South Africa |
Ireland |
Namibia |
|
|
Women’s Singles: |
Wales |
New Zealand |
Guernsey |
|
Tues. Nov 29 |
Men’s Pairs: |
Scotland |
England |
Fiji |
|
Men’s Triples: |
Samoa |
Jersey |
Malaysia |
|
|
Women’s Fours: |
New Zealand |
Fiji |
Hong Kong |
|
|
Women’s Singles: |
Cyprus |
Australia |
Netherlands |
|
Wed Nov 30 |
Men’s Pairs: |
Cyprus |
South Africa |
Australia |
|
Men’s Triples: |
Ireland |
Wales |
Australia |
|
|
Women’s Fours: |
Singapore |
Wales |
Australia |
|
|
Women’s Singles: |
Fiji |
Kenya |
USA |
Semi-finals for week one’s action will be played on Friday December 2nd. The finals for women’s fours and men’s triples will be on Saturday December 3rd and women’s singles and men’s pairs Sunday December 4th. All final matches will be lived streamed and can be watched here: https://livestream.com/i-filmsport/WorldBowlsChamps2016.
Follow Bowls Canada on Twitter for live end to end updates during each match.
For more information on World Bowls Championships please visit: http://www.worldbowls2016.com/Category?Action=View&Category_id=89
For more information, please contact:
Katie Gardner, Communications and Promotions Manager, Bowls Canada Boulingrin
kgardner@bowlscanada.com
About Bowls Canada Boulingrin
Bowls Canada Boulingrin (BCB) is the governing body responsible for lawn bowls in Canada. The BCB mission is to advance the sport of bowls in Canada. For more details on Bowls Canada Boulingrin and the sport of lawn bowls, visit www.bowlscanada.com.
