INDOOR BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27368, 5 June 1954, Page 9

INDOOR BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

SINGLES MATCHES BEGIN TODAY

Nearly 600 bowlers will assemble in Christchurch today to take part in the fifth New Zealand indoor bowling championships to be held during the week-end. Players come from many of the hundreds of clubs throughout the Dominion which are members of the New Zealand federation.

Recently five associations, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Southland, Greyinouth and Nelson, joined the federation, and when Otago joins soon, the federation will have an estimated 20,000 players. There are 390 players in the singles games today, which will be held in the Railways Department B goods shed in Colombo street. Here, 52 mats, worth more than £2OOO, are laid out for the tournament. Only once before has the tournament been held under one roof.

At 8.45 a.m. the tournament will be opened by the Mayor (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.). Play will commence at 9 a.m.» and as on succeeding evenings, is expected to continue until 10.30 p.m. The fours matches, with 130 teams entered, and the pairs, with 250 teams, will follow, making a total of 1850 games. Although there are hundreds of visiting players, 280 coming from the North Island, the schedule of matches leaves no time for official social functions, or even a business conference. The hotel accommodation of all visiting players was the responsibility of Mr R. Fleming, an officer of the Canterbury Assdciation, which also prepared the site and amenities for the New Zealand federation. The only team defending a championship title will be the Waikato players, W. Wearne and F. Haines, in the pairs. E. J. Macdonald’s fours team, which twice won the national title, has been broken up. Mr P. J. Nalder, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, will lead a Police Force team from Wellington.