Owhata stalwart Hughes honoured at nationals

It was 1975 when Delwyn Hughes picked up her first indoor bowl.

Since then the Owhata Indoor Bowling Club representative has made history in the sport, becoming the first female executive and president for New Zealand Indoor Bowls (NZIB).

New Zealand Indoor Bowls held a special presentation for Hughes during the 64th Lion Foundation National Indoor Bowls event, which is currently being held in Rotorua.

The special presentation marked her outstanding service to New Zealand indoor bowling during the past 27 years.

"They gave me a lovely jewellery box after the academy match. There was a big crowd here [at the Energy Events Centre] and I didn't know it was going to happen."

Hughes was elected to the NZIB executive in 1985 following her work to help organise the national championships in Rotorua.

She was the first woman to achieve this feat and worked her way up to vice-president and then president in 1995.

She has also held the position of publicity officer since 1987 and is a life member of NZIB and the Owhata Indoor Bowls Club.

Hughes said it all started when she left Auckland in the 1970s.

"We were living in Hamilton and it was quite lonely because we didn't know anyone. My next door neighbour said 'would you like to come and play bowls', that was back in 1975."

Hughes and her family moved to Rotorua a year later and she has been playing for Owhata since.

Hughes has overcome two knee reconstructions to play at this year's National Indoor Bowls competition, which ends tomorrow.

She represented Owhata in the fours and pairs this week.

Before she received her presentation on Wednesday, Hughes awarded the top masters' team with the Delwyn Hughes Trophy, which she donated to the sport.

In that match, the annual Northern versus Southern Zone masters event, Northern Zone won 31-17.

Meanwhile, there will be new champions in the fours at the Lion Foundation National Indoor Bowls Championships at Rotorua on Saturday.

The defending champions David Archer, Maureen Pruden, Joy Archer and Candace Archer (Waikato) were not among the 71 teams who qualified for post section play.

Rotorua's Margurrite Gerrand has been named in the reserves for the North Island team the 33rd annual North versus South inter-island match on August 17.

The inter-island teams will play for the Kevin Eddy Memorial Trophy at Rotorua Girls' High School Arena.