Queanbeyan bowlers Maggie Johnston (left) and Lorraine Donney in action during this week's Australian Senior Sides Championships at the Queanbeyan Bowling Club. Photo: Andrew Johnston
THE Queanbeyan Bowling Club was a hive of activity last week as the city played host to the Australian Over-60s Sides Championships.
The four-day tournament is due to wrap up today but organisers have already declared the event a success with more than 200 bowlers from across Australia taking part.
Speaking to The Queanbeyan Age on Thursday, tournament director Coral McMurray said the feedback from interstate players and officials had been overwhelmingly positive.
“Everyone has been delighted by how the tournament has gone,” she said. “I’ve had brilliant comments about [Monday’s] Civic Reception and the march on which were put on for all the players and which have added a little bit of extra character to the occasion.”
McMurray said the club had been determined to use the championships as an opportunity to showcase Queanbeyan on a national stage and that those efforts had clearly paid dividends.
“Compared to last year’s event it’s been chalk and cheese,” she said. “We still had the games last year but there was no atmosphere.
“This year we’ve bent over backward to make sure that camaraderie is there and to put Queanbeyan on the bowls map.”
This year’s tournament commenced with a Civic Reception hosted by mayor Tim Overall at The Q on Monday before an official march on marked the start of play on Tuesday morning.
This year marks the first time players from every state and territory have taken part in the Senior Sides competition.
And amid a star-studded field, Queanbeyan’s own representatives have proven up for the challenge with Bette McDonald, Lorraine Donney and Maggie Johnston helping the ACT women to an impressive win over heavyweights Western Australia on Tuesday.
While defeats to NSW and Queensland ended any hopes of an unlikely title tilt for the minnows, McMurray said the team’s standard of play had been high.
“ACT’s win against Western Australia was by about six or seven shots which is a very good result against one of the bigger states,” McMurray said.
“Unfortunately I haven’t had much time to sit and watch but I did see a bit of [Wednesday’s match] against Tasmania and Lorraine in particular was playing beautiful bowls.”
The ACT was due to wrap up its campaign against South Australia on Friday.
