Coast popularity will have other cities green with envy
The Gold Coast is already regarded as the hub of the sport in Australia.
Now international star Brett Wilkie believes the tourist strip could be known as the mecca for world bowls.
It seems just about every major event will come to the Coast over the next six or so years, starting in November with the World Champion of Champions tournament being staged at Helensvale and again in 2016.
The Australian Open will be played at the Broadbeach club for the next five years; there is the 2018 Commonwealth Games also at Broadbeach; the 2019 Asia Pacific Championships are scheduled for Broadbeach; and the 2020 World Championships have been booked in at Broadbeach, Musgrave Hill and Helensvale.
“We’ve already had the world under-25 titles here this year, so the Gold Coast seem to have all the major events over the coming years,” Wilkie said.
“It is fast becoming the mecca of world bowls and why not? We have the great weather and some of the best facilities and greens anywhere.”
Unfortunately, because of a disjointed qualifying system, Wilkie will not get a chance to play in the World Champion of Champions on his home green.
To get to be Australian Champion of Champions a player has to go through club, district, zone, state then on to the national final.
Australia’s representatives for November – Scott Thulborn (Adelaide) and Katrina Wright (Sydney) – qualified by winning their national finals last November.
