Six players stamp boarding pass for Hong Kong and New Zealand
Six players have had their boarding passes stamped for upcoming Hong Kong International Bowls Classic and New Zealand’s North East Valley Invitational Singles events. Bowls Australia’s national selection panel has today confirmed the names of six athletes entrusted with international duties later in the year.
Selectors have stamped the boarding passes of players from both the Australian Jackaroos and Australian Emerging Jackaroos squads for two upcoming non-capped international tournaments, in the Hong Kong International Bowls Classic and New Zealand’s North East Valley Invitational Singles.
Reigning World Bowls Championships pairs winner Aaron Wilson and recent Australian Open singles runner-up Nathan Rice have been tasked with heading across the ditch for the North East Valley Invitational Singles, to be staged from October 20 to 23, which is now in its 27th year.
A further four players have been handed a ticket to the Hong Kong International Bowls Classic, held from November 11 to 19.
The man who toppled Rice for the $13,000 Australian Open singles crown, Nathan Pedersen, will endeavour to claim his third Classic pairs title, but will attempt the feat alongside a new partner this year, in two-time Bowls Premier League winner Ben Twist.
Two fully-fledged Australian Jackaroos have been selected for the women’s event, in Broadbeach duo Bolivia Millerick and Chloe Stewart.
The pair were both elevated to the top-tier squad just prior to last month’s 2017 Gold Coast Multi-Nations event, which was staged at their home club.
Millerick was part of the gold medal winning women’s fours team for “Australia Gold”, while her silver medal opponents included Stewart in the “Australian Green” team.
All four players will also compete in the singles discipline of the Kowloon-based event.
The timing of the Hong Kong International Bowls Classic is in the middle of a particularly busy period for the national squads, occurring alongside the Trans Tasman Test Series, from November 10 to 12, and the sixth edition of the Bowls Premier League, from November 14 to 17.
Bowls Australia congratulates the selection players.
North East Valley Invitational Singles – October 20 to 23.
• Aaron Wilson (Cabramatta, NSW) & Nathan Rice (Club Helensvale, QLD)
Hong Kong International Bowls Classic – November 11 to 19.
• Bolivia Millerick (Broadbeach, QLD) & Chloe Stewart (Broadbeach, QLD)
• Nathan Pedersen (Modbury, SA) & Ben Twist (St Johns Park, NSW)
Caption: Nathan Pedersen will attempt to claim his third Hong Kong Invitational Classic pairs title later in the year.
