Multi-Disability National Championships
The best bowlers with a physical disability Australia has to offer will be coming together at the Chermside Bowls Club in Brisbane, Queensland for the 2013 Lawn Bowls Multi-Disability National Championships on next week.
Staged from June 11 to 15, the event will be hosted by Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association (QLD) with support from Australian Athletes With a Disability.
A field of 38 bowlers from the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia will compete at the Championships.
It is the highest number of bowlers in recent years and includes 27 men and 11 ladies.
It is also the first year that Western Australia has entered a player to compete at the National Championships, with six states being represented in total.
The Interstate Aggregate Champion was South Australia 2012, claiming the trophy from NSW who had been the dominating state in recent years from 2006 to 2011.
South Australian pair Barry Charity and David Bailey have enjoyed a rich history of playing together, first winning the pairs title in 2008, and are the current National Champions for 2012.
The ladies pairs are returning for the first time in five years since Joanne Hunter and Carolyn Nelson captured the title in 2008.
In the singles events five of last year’s finalists in the men’s and womens’ draw return with New South Wales’ James Reynolds and Carolyn Nelson looking to defend their titles.
The field will feature bowlers with a different range of physical disability including paraplegia, quadriplegia, polio, leg amputee, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis.
Bowlers are classified according to their level of ability and functionality which comes in to effect for international competition. Classification provides the opportunity for bowlers to compete against bowlers with a similar disability or level of functionality.
