Blind Foundation team celebrate success

KEEP ON BOWLING: The Blind Foundation indoor bowls team made an impressive dent in the competition at the blind bowls national meet. Rod Hollis demonstrates the teams winning technique, while from left Mata Strickland, Nola Burgess, Wendy Davies, Mahia Strickland, Colleen Dwyer, Mike Chisholm, Betty Atkins and Eileen Tasker display their shields' trophy and team spirit. Picture by Liam Clayton

BOWLS

The Gisborne Blind Foundation indoor bowls team came home with a New Zealand title from this year’s national championships.

Nola Burgess, with guide Wendy Davies, won the women’s singles in the total blindness category.

Every year in October, more than 130 blind and partially sighted competitors meet to compete in the Blind and Visually Impaired Indoor Bowls National Championships.

This year the event was held in Wanganui. Out of 28 teams, Colleen Dwyer and Betty Atkins, with their guide Mike Chisholm, were runners-up in the pairs section.

Mata Strickland, guided by his wife Mahia Strickland, was runner-up in the men’s vision-impaired singles category.

Nola Burgess said competitors looked forward to the event and playing against other New Zealand teams.

“We always do our best and I think Gisborne did so well this time,” she said.

“It gives us encouragement to go again next year.”

She said the nationals were always a social affair.

“We really enjoy it. It is good to meet up year after year. There is a good atmosphere and the people are very friendly.

“It is a great feeling to win a title especially in a national tournament . . . everyone played well.”