2023 World Bowls Championships: Day 1 recap
After years of anticipation and build up, action finally commenced for the 2023 World Bowls Championships on Tuesday.
Five Gold Coast clubs are playing host to some of the world’s best players, with the usual sunny Gold Coast throwing up a few surprises.
Rain threatened and featured on and off across the Gold Coast, getting heavy enough to halt play at one point.
View all results from the 2023 World Bowls Championships here.
The women’s singles is poised for fascinating sectional play, with upsets aplenty on day one.
2022 Commonwealth Games singles silver medallist Lucy Beere (Guernsey) dropped matches to Fiji’s Losalini Diqoya and Turkiye’s Bahar Cil, but recorded a crucial win over South Africa star Colleen Piketh.
The day was also full of history, with wins such as those to Brazil’s Maria Evangelisti the first ever for Brazil at the event.
The women’s fours has unfolded mostly as expected, with traditionally-strong countries in Australia, New Zealand, Wales, England and South Africa all unbeaten. Singapore gave Scotland a setback in the final session of the day, recording a big 17-8 win.
Similarly to the women’s fours, the men’s pairs is also shaping up with big names towards the top.
Day two shapes with some exciting contests, as unbeaten Australia face off against fellow lossless teams in Wales & Jersey.
Thailand’s Wattana Kadkhunthod & Uthen Ontong recorded one of the big wins of the day, beating New Zealand’s Tony Grantham & Andrew Kelly 18-12.
India stamped their mark on the men’s triples, with an impressive eight-shot win over host nation Australia, running through the day unbeaten.
Cook Islands nearly claimed a scalp for the ages, forcing a draw against an Alex Marshall led Scotland team.
Japan also ran the day unbeaten, as did England, New Zealand and Ireland.
History was also made when para competition commenced, the first time para bowls have taken place at a world bowls championships.
The para men’s competition shapes as fairly even, with Australia and Hong Kong China favourites to advance out of section one after two wins, while section two is more open.
Commonwealth Games champions Scotland failed to record a win, with four teams in with a chance of advancing out of the group.
New Zealand and Scotland ran the women’s para pairs day unbeaten, while Australia and England recorded wins.
Not much separates the vision-impaired pairs either, with South Africa and Australia claiming two wins from two games.
Day two of play commences from 8.30am AEST across the Gold Coast on Wednesday.
The 2023 World Bowls Championships is proudly supported by Tourism and Events Queensland and Major Events Gold Coast.
