Commonwealth Games para-sport team narrowed down
The short-list of players in consideration for the para-sport disciplines at the 2018 Commonwealth Games has been announced. Bowls Australia’s national selection panel have taken the first step towards confirming who will wear the green and gold uniform at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Vision Impaired and Bowlers with a Disability disciplines.
The selection panel, headed by National Coach Steve Glasson, have announced that 12 Bowlers with a Disability and eight Vision Impaired players have made it through to the first stage of the selection process.
Bowlers with a Disability:
Tony Bonnell (B6 category)
Brett Sellars (B6)
Ed Gollan (B6)
Mark Whiteman (B6)
Geoff Seton (B6)
James Reynolds (B7)
Josh Barry (B8)
Josh Thornton (B8)
Clive Williams (B7)
Chris Flavel (B8)
Kenneth Hanson (B8)
Darryl Willson (B7)
Vision Impaired players:
June Brittian (B2 category)
Joy Forster (B2)
Ralph Simpson (B2)
Craig Newbery (B2)
Marian Morrison (B3)
Lynne Seymour (B3)
Chris Backstrom (B3)
Jake Fehlberg (B3)
Among those selected in the initial squad is Tony Bonnell and Joy Forster, who both secured the honour of competing at the last staging of the Commonwealth Games, in 2014 at Glasgow, where Forster secured a bronze medal alongside her director Bruce Jones.
Bowlers will compete for two gold medals in the para-sport component of the 2018 Commonwealth Games, in the Vision Impaired (B2/B3 classification) Mixed Pairs and the Bowlers with a Disability (B6/B7/B8 classification) Open Triples.
The Gold Coast event will feature the largest para-sports program in Commonwealth Games history, hosting up to 300 para-sport athletes and 38 medal events across seven sports, which is an increase of 45 per-cent more athletes and 73 per-cent more medals compared to the para-sport competition staged at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The 20 players will now vie for the selectors’ favour at separate, three-day trial camps next month, where the contingents will be refined even further.
Bowls Australia would like to acknowledge the assistance and funding provided by the Australian Commonwealth Games Association to Bowls Australia for athletes in the 2015-18 NextGEN AUSComGames Squad program.
NextGEN AUSComGames was devised by the ACGA to provide assistance to players who have been identified as potential 2015 or 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games, and/or 2018 or 2022 Commonwealth Games level athletes.
Bowls Australia congratulates the 20 players on their initial selection and wish them well with their upcoming trials.
Caption: 2016 Australian Open physical disability men’s singles winner Josh Barry is in contention for a spot in the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games para-sport team.
