Victorian duo to hunt back-to-back world under-25 singles titles
Two Victorian bowls prodigies will commence their title defence of the World Junior Championships on the Gold Coast this Monday, while four others will also don the green and gold on the international stage.
Fitzroy Victoria’s Dylan Fisher, 21, and Kyneton’s Chloe Stewart, 19, are poised to enter the sport’s only international under-25 event with a target planted firmly on their backs after each cut a swath through their respective singles fields just four months ago during the inaugural event.
There is added impetus for the duo this year however, with the tournament sticking to a regular March timeframe moving forward, meaning whoever salutes on the world stage this time will benefit from retaining the coveted title, and bragging rights, for a full 12 month period.
While the pair will each attempt to go back-to-back in the singles discipline, they will again unite for the mixed pairs action, where they will look to better their fifth placed final standing.
Western Australia’s Kristina Krstic has also been granted a consecutive berth on the international stage, after a runner-up finish to Stewart last November, while NSW’s former World Junior Cup winner Ben Twist will line-up in section two of the men’s singles draw, and will partner Krstic in the mixed pairs.
A further two Australians have landed a late chance to hunt down the international silverware at the 13-nation event, which features multiple combinations of competitors from Australia, Scotland, New Zealand, Malaysia and Hong Kong China.
NSW’s Kelly Richards will fill a positional vacancy in the mixed pairs draw, partnering Namibia’s Waylon Wentzel, and South Australia’s Renee McPharlin is an 11th hour entry to play alongside the United States of America’s Max Cavendar, giving the host country two extra opportunities to strike gold in the women’s singles; where both players will represent Australia.
The 2015 World Junior Championships will feature nine rounds of men’s singles, women’s singles and mixed pairs sectional action, with post-sectional play-offs on Saturday, March 14 and finals set for Sunday, March 15 at Broadbeach Bowls Club on the Gold Coast.
Round one of the men’s and women’s singles will commend on Monday, March 9 at 12.30pm, with the first rubber of the mixed pairs staged at 3.15pm.
Countries competing at the second staging of the event include Australia, Canada, Cook Islands, Hong Kong China, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Namibia, New Zealand, Scotland, Turkey, USA and Wales.
Bowls Australia would like to acknowledge the assistance and funding provided by the Australian Commonwealth Games Association to Bowls Australia for athletes in the 2015 NextGEN AUSComGames Squad program (formerly known as ‘Australian Junior Commonwealth Games Squad’ program).
NextGEN AUSComGames was devised by the ACGA to provide assistance to junior players who have been identified as potential 2018 and/or 2022 Commonwealth Games level athletes; these players will be showcased at the 2015 World Junior Championships, 2015 Trans Tasman and 2015 World Cup.
Caption: Dylan FIsher and Chloe Stewart will look to emulate the success that landed them each a world under-25 singles trophy last November.
