THE national bowls team will travel early to New Zealand in a bid to acclimatise to the conditions ahead of the World Championship from November 29 to December 11.
The 10-member team will fly to Christchurch on November 22 and will be joined by expatriate Australian coach Robbie Dobbins upon their arrival.
The side has been practising during the weekends in the past month with the players also participating in the National Triples Championship and the East versus West clash recently.
Fiji men’s team manager Curtis Mar said their preparations had been good and no setbacks.
“We had the national triples tournament a few weeks back and entered two men’s and two women’s teams,” Mar said.
“Both men’s teams came up on top which was really good. They played tough games and came through unscathed.
“The women’s teams were drawn against the men in the pools so they had a bit of a tough run. But they went through to win the plate competition.”
The side will hold another practice session this Saturday at the Nadi Sports and Social Club greens and will have a fundraising drive at the venue on Sunday.
“We get to Christchurch early and will have four days of practice on our own before we get into the venue for the official practice sessions which is another three days before the competition proper starts,” Mar said.
“Robbie will join us upon our arrival in Christchurch. I think we have one of the best prepared teams for the World Championship.
“The side has gone through structured training. Robbie has got some good techniques which has improved the skill level of the players.”
Fiji is yet to win a gold medal in the World Championship but still holds a proud record in the event especially in the women’s category.
In the inaugural World Championship in 1969 at the Elizabethan Bowls Club in Rockdale, Sydney, Australia, the women’s fours team made up of Ateca Robinson, Elva Bradley, Olive Patton and Clarice Woolley settled for the silver medal after losing to the hosts in the final.
Patton and Woolley won the pairs bronze medal and Fiji finished third in the women’s competition claiming the bronze as well.
In the 1981 edition held at the Willowdale Bowling Club in Toronto, Canada, Maraia Lum On and Willow Fong won the women’s pairs silver medal while in 1985 at the Reservoir Bowling Club in Preston, Melbourne, Australia, Lum On won the singles silver medal and teamed with Willow Fong to win the pairs silver medal also.
In the 1996 edition which was held in Adelaide, Australia, Litia Tikoisuva and Radhika Prasad won the bronze medal in the pairs.
At the 2008 event held at the Burnside Bowling Club in Christchurch, the men’s triples team of Samuela Tui, Curtis Mar, Keshwa Gounder staged a late rally in the final against Scotland but fell shot 16-14 to settle for the silver medal.
Fiji Team: women’s singles: Sainiana Walker; Women’s Triples: Elizabeth Moceiwai, Sheral Mar, Litia Tikoisuva; women’s fours: Loretta Kotoisuva, Elizabeth Moceiwai, Sheral Mar, Litia Tikoisuva. Men’s pairs: Kushal Pillay, Samuela Tuikiligana; men’s triples: Rajnesh Prasad, Semesa Naiseruvati, Arun Kumar; men’s fours: Rajnesh Prasad, Samuela Tuikiligana, Semesa Naiseruvati, Arun Kumar.
