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KNYSNA BOWLING NEWS - Bowls SA celebrates National Disability Month every November, when bowling clubs around the country hold various special events and days to pay tribute to their colleagues who are differently abled to them.

This year, on Sunday 8 November, Knysna Bowling Club (KBC) welcomed the Eden District Disability Bowls Squad. With KBC being the home club of SA bowler Chris Patton, as well as other disabled bowlers, the club takes pride in hosting disabled bowlers.

Speaking at the opening of the day, Patton stated, "We're all equal here, nobody is ever treated differently, and everyone is on a level playing field.

While the aim of the day was to observe National Disability Month, there was a little more to it this year.

At the start of 2020, KBC member, Paul Hare, along with the club donated a generous sum to provide sponsored shirts for the eight Eden District disability bowlers who entered the 2020 BSA Bowls for the Disabled National Championships, scheduled to take place in Somerset West in late March but cancelled because of Covid-19.

Photo gallery: National Disability Month celebrated on the bowling green

This meant the team never got the chance to don their kit. That is, until Sunday, when the eight players were eventually able to take part in three friendly exhibition matches against bowlers from KBC as well as Sedgefield Bowling Club (SBC)).

The day was held in great spirit and lots of competitive fun as the bowlers battled it out under sunny skies.

The fun was doubled when, just after teatime, as a fundraiser players had to bowl a ball from their "wrong" hand with their eyes closed, to get as close to a target in the middle of the green as possible – referred to as "spider" play.

This helped raise money for a donation to the Eden team, and was coupled with further donations from KBC and SBC.Eden District Disability Bowls member Julie Deferville of Plettenberg Bay Bowling Club. Photos: Blake Linder