Aussies set to take on World in Vegas
By Matt Stevens
Please note the dates listed in this article are converted to Australian dates. Key links and details at the bottom of the page.
Australia’s World Women team have arrived in preparation for the 2019 World Women Championships in Las Vegas, USA.
The nine day event will begin on Friday (Australian time) with official competition slated to begin on Sunday the 25th of August.
The best female bowlers around the world will compete in Singles, Doubles, Trios, 5 person Teams and conclude with a master’s playoff to find an overall champion. The semi-finals and finals are all scheduled to occur on separate days to the qualifying squads (Friday 30th and Saturday 31st – Australian time).
The separation of the qualifying squads and finals in the schedule may provide a challenge according to head coach Dean Champ.
“I feel the biggest challenge for us is to be switched on for the four days straight of qualifying, both mentally and physically. In addition, the key will be to stay on top of the oil pattern transition, which will be different every session, depending on who we are paired with and who we are following”.
Champ, who has been in charge of the Australian women’s NTS group for 18 months, is excited and confident on the task ahead.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge that awaits us, and I’m confident that all our NTS practice sessions and preparation will hold us in good stead to be able to work together and bowl at our best”.
The 2019 team will boast a mixture of experience and rookies to represent the country on the world stage for the first time in three years.
Bree Macpherson (NSW) and Jaimie-Lee Spiller (SA) will be one of two members making their debut in the green and gold. A debut that Spiller has dreamt of for a long time.
“It’s an absolute honour to have been chosen to represent Australia. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a young girl and still grant myself so lucky to have been given such an amazing opportunity”.
After representing Australia at the 2016 Asian Championships in Hong Kong, Rebekah Martin (VIC) will make her first World Championship appearance in Vegas. It’s been a long wait but Martin has used the time to gain experience and develop where she could.
“I have now bowled on the PWBA tour, been a part of a 1st and 2nd placing at the USBC Women’s Champs teams and made my first Queens cut this year. I am incredibly excited to get back over to the States and show our country and the rest of the world that WE are ready for the challenge, we can compete with the best (even as amateurs) and give it a red hot crack”.
The 2015 World Women’s Championship in Abu Dhabi was the last time Australia had participated in a World Women’s Championship. From that 2015 squad, three bowlers return in Rebecca Whiting, Dena Buxton and Narelle Baker. Making her Australian debut in 2009 and winning a gold medal at the Asian School Championships in Hong Kong, Whiting has continued to represent and win medals for Australia over the last decade.
Boasting Australian master, national and ranking titles, Whiting has been widely regarded as the best female bowler in the country and is jumping out of her skin to get to Vegas.
“It has been quite a while for me between World Women’s appearances and I almost feel like a newbie again! Wearing the green and gold can never be taken for granted and I am so excited to pull on these colours again and make my country proud”.
One of the many medals won by Whiting was a silver medal in the doubles event in 2016 at the Commonwealth Championships in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her medal doubles partner on that day- Dena Buxton.
Buxton who has represented Australia four times since 1994 (Asian Champs Guam) is beaming with pride on the upcoming opportunity.
“Representing your country is a feeling hard to describe, it’s an honour and a privilege to be able to do something you love doing but also doing it for your country. Wearing the green and gold is not to be taken lightly and should be earned and respected”.
In what is becoming a frequent occurrence, the Las Vegas based, South Point Bowling Plaza is again the host of yet another World Championship. A centre boasting 60 lanes, the team is excited to have such a prestigious home for the next 9 days.
“It is an absolutely beautiful centre, massive high roofs, ball returns are well back from the approach, it’s a bowler’s dream centre really” explained Whiting.
The team will join 180 of the world’s best women athletes from 34 different countries to participate in the World Championship.
Coach Dean Champ shed some light on the biggest countries and athletes that will pose a constant threat to the Aussie’s.
“The USA has a very strong line-up consisting of PWBA stars Stefanie Johnson, Liz Kuhlkin, Danielle McEwan, Shannon O’Keefe, Missy Parkin and Jordan Richard, and on their home turf, they will be hard to beat”.
In an event that is the stage of an abundance of talent, other predicted strong countries to look out for are Columbia, Malaysia, Singapore, UK, Germany and Sweden who all boast PWBA titles and experience.
When asked on what makes those countries so good, Champ answered “the strongest countries are the ones who have professional bowling programs, where they employ full time coaching, support staff and have athletes who bowl for a living. This allows them to train every day and compete in tournaments regularly, giving them a competitive advantage over the amateur countries like ourselves”.
The competitive advantage that other countries do possess, is countered by the ‘Aussie spirit’ that is evident in those that represent the country.
“What Australia lacks in resources is made up for in sheer determination and a stubbornness to concede that we aren’t up to the task of taking on the best in the world” explained Champ.
Determination and stubbornness, are key characteristics that ultimately create the ‘under-dog’ mentality that Australians are commonly tagged with. A tag that as a country, we embrace.
When asked what it means to have the opportunity to represent your country in the sport you love, Rebekah Martin helped sum up the reality of the sacrifices it takes to reach the pinnacle in our sport
“I am a mum of 3 boys and work multiple jobs to be able to afford one of the most expensive sports to play, especially at an elite level. Time is the biggest sacrifice you make, time away from your kids or your partner because you can’t improve without the time to train. We do it for a reason and that is to accomplish our dreams, hopefully showing my children that if they want to succeed at something then they can, but it takes hard work and dedication to do it”.
A clear example of the determination and stubbornness that the Australians will wear with pride at the 2019 World Women Championships.
END NOTES
2019 AUSTRALIAN WORLD WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
- Bree Macpherson
- Dena Buxton
- Jaimie-Lee Spiller
- Narelle Baker
- Rebecca Whiting
- Rebekah Martin
- Coach- Dean Champ
- Assistant Coach – Billy Gardiner
- Sports Therapist – Suz Wenzel
WHERE CAN I WATCH?
The World Women’s Championship will be streamed and available to watch on dailymotion. World Bowling has recently partnered with dailymotion to broadcast all their events on. Please go to https://www.dailymotion.com/World_Bowling or download the dailymotion app in your phones app store. Search and follow worldbowling.
Story – WORLD BOWLING SIGNS DIGITAL MEDIA PARTNERSHIP WITH DAILYMOTION AHEAD OF 2019 WORLD BOWLING WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS – article HERE
SCHEDULE
Please note that the schedule and times on the following link are USA based. Click HERE
WORLD WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP WEBSITE
For all information and results on the event click HERE
