Team Rides Magic Carpet
Illawarra Mercury
Wednesday June 18, 2008
FOUR members of Illawarra Yacht Club are the NSW senior citizens carpet bowls champions after winning a tournament at Mt Pritchard earlier this year.
Maureen Piras, Lois Turnbull, Dale Cleary and Barbara Kustron combined to win the competition, which was held at the Mounties Club over three Mondays in March.The foursome had to win a total of six games against some tough opposition to seal the championship. "I never thought we would win something like this - I just go and play," Piras said. "No matter what sport I want to win, but I get a lot of pleasure out of it. "Winning is a bonus, it's really quite a coup to win something this big."Trophies and titles aren't everything for Piras - she enjoys the friendships she has made in a lengthy carpet bowls career. "It's much friendlier than anything else I've played, the social aspect is great."Carpet bowls isn't as serious as the lawn bowls - we just have a social day and if we win, great."It's a great game for older people - and younger people too - who might have played lawn bowls but can't or don't want to any more," Piras said. Piras started playing carpet bowls in 1984; Turnbull is an experienced campaigner. Cleary took up the game two years and Kustron is the greenhorn of the squad, having only started playing some 12 months ago. The foursome are part of a 30-strong crowd that gather at the Illawarra Yacht Club each Wednesday and Friday for carpet bowls. Piras and Turnbull have played at assorted country and state championships in the past, but have never won a state title before this year's triumph. "It was quite a big event to win - we had to travel to Mt Pritchard three times," a delighted Piras said. Piras and Turnbull played at last weekend's country championships at Kempsey, but didn't win an event.
© 2008 Illawarra Mercury
