Namibia's men's and women's bowls teams have qualified for the 2027 Bowls World Cup after a strong performance at the Africa States Bowls tournament in Lusaka, Zambia. The teams finished second overall, winning a total of four silver and three bronze medals. South Africa took the top spot, winning gold medals in most disciplines. This achievement marks a significant milestone for Namibian bowls, with the teams set to compete in their first World Bowls Championships since 2023.
In the women's categories, Namibia's teams performed exceptionally well. The women's trips category team, consisting of Diana Viljoen, Elzaan de Vries, and Huipie van Wyk, won the silver medal, finishing just behind South Africa on points aggregate. Botswana took third place in the category. Additionally, the women's fours competition team, comprising Viljoen, De Vries, Van Wyk, and Bianca Lewis, also won the silver medal, with South Africa winning gold and Zimbabwe taking bronze.
Namibia's men's teams also secured impressive results. In the men's trips competition, the team of Axel Krähenbühl, Colin Peake, and Schalk van Wyk won the silver medal, with South Africa taking gold and Botswana winning bronze. The men's fours competition team, consisting of Krähenbühl, Peake, Van Wyk, and Christo Steenkamp, also won the silver medal, with South Africa winning gold and Botswana taking bronze.
Individual performances also shone for Namibia. In the women's singles competition, Marietjie van der Berg won the bronze medal, with South Africa winning gold and Zimbabwe taking silver. In the men's singles competition, Waylon Wentzel won the bronze medal, with South Africa winning gold and Kenya taking silver. Furthermore, the women's pairs competition team, consisting of Marietjie van der Berg and Bianca Lewis, won the bronze medal, with South Africa winning gold and Zambia taking silver.
The 2027 Bowls World Cup will take place at Victoria Park in England in July next year. This will be Namibia's first appearance at the world championships since competing at the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia in 2023. The team's qualification is a significant achievement, and they will now focus on preparing for the tournament.
Diana Viljoen expressed her pride in the team's performance, stating that Namibia stood strong and performed well throughout the tournament. She acknowledged that the team was in contention for the overall gold medal until the last game but ultimately finished second to South Africa. Viljoen also highlighted the challenging conditions at the Lusaka Bowling Club, where the team played on two greens with vastly different speeds.
Viljoen emphasized that the team's qualification for the 2027 World Bowls Championships is a significant goal achieved, and the hard work will now begin as they prepare for England. The team will need to adapt to different conditions and focus on their strategy to compete at the world level. With their recent performance, Namibia's bowls teams have shown promise and will look to make a strong impression at the 2027 World Bowls Championships.
Key points
- Namibia's men's and women's bowls teams qualify for 2027 Bowls World Cup
- The teams finished second overall at the Africa States Bowls tournament
- The 2027 Bowls World Cup will take place at Victoria Park in England in July next year
