03-16-2008, 03:38 PM
Taken from the weekly article in The Citizen - March 14,2008.
“Sometimes it takes a special person or a special group of people to have a dream, to have a vision and the focus and guts to do something extraordinary.”
The words of Bowls South Africa president, Piet Breitenbach, when opening the indoor bowls facility at Lombardy East Bowls Club last Saturday, attended by a large group of interested players and officials who after the opening saw some exciting and interesting bowls played on the rink once graced by some of the world’s top players two years ago at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg.
The three men who put the whole package together, Fonny Meyeridricks, Gerald Mayhew and Morne Maritz, deserve a special word of praise from the bowling community for taking this giant step in providing indoor facilities just in time for the winter chills.
Breitenbach for his part was so impressed by the facility that he said: “We intend to use it in future in preparation for certain international events but also to support it in all other endeavours, be it development, the youth, the seniors or disabled.”
And the mat played true for Craig Rimmington and his partner, Reno Lozzi and Greg Bingham and his partner, Sean Johnston, as they contested the final. Rimmington and Lozzi won in straight sets but it was most interesting to see the value of having played in international matches on carpets overseas from Rimmington and Bingham, who have both has stints as South Africa qualifiers in indoor events in Britain.