by Robert Washburn
Cobourg will host its first ever national qualifying lawn bowling tournament this weekend.
The Ontario Lawn Bowling Association Mixed Pairs Championship will be held at the Cobourg club on July 14 and 15.
Club spokesperson Bill Arthur said this is a very prestigious event held over two days. It is one of five events held across the country.
“This is a very significant event for us,” he said. “We have never held a national qualifying event in Cobourg. This is the first time we have held a major provincial championship.”
The gold and silver medalists will go on to represent Ontario at the National Championships in British Columbia in September.
Arthur said preparations for the weekend began in January to host the 32 competitors who will play.
“We applied to host the event last year. We got the go-ahead in January. So, we immediately struck a committee to do all the various jobs.”
Particular attention is paid to the preparations of the greens to ensure they are in top shape for players to do their best, he said.
Arthur said spectators are welcome.
“We are not expecting a large crowd, but everyone is most welcome. Often people visiting (Victoria) Park will come over and watch. We encourage people to come inside and sit with us to watch. Hopefully, they might become interested in lawn bowling,” he said.
Opening ceremonies will begin around 9 a.m. Saturday with three matches that day. The gold and silver medal play takes place Sunday.
