For Annette Thompson, the “Aloha Barefoot Bowls Championship” conducted by Bowls NSW has produced an amazing change of good fortune in her introduction to the sport of lawn bowls.
She participated in the 2014 event as a raw beginner to the game with her bowling partner Henry Dagasso, who at the time was a member of Davistown RSL BC.
They reached a sectional final and missed winning a trip to Hawaii by the narrowest of margins, going down by just one shot (7 to 6), in a tense final.
In recent months, Annette, who is also an accomplished golfer, joined the Avoca Beach WBC, so this year she backed up in the event as the registered bowler as skip with nonbowling friend Fernando Assiss.
They immediately clicked as a bowling pair and won their section at Davistown RSL to gain a place in the Central Coast sectional final at Woy Woy BC on November 29.
Many of the players were dressed in Hawaiian shirts, befitting of the occasion, and some underlying nerves were evident as teams took to the green in search of a unique opportunity to play in the “Barefoot Bowls Championship” at the Honolulu BC in February next year.
Annette and Fernado played outstanding bowls to win the semi-final against an accomplished pair to gain a finals berth against Wayne Jones and Steve Elliss from Davistown RSL BC.
A three on the fourth end of the seven end cut throat final, gave Annette and Fernado a match winning mini-break of 5-2 and they held their nerve to go on and win 6 to 5. For Annette, justice was done.
To lose the final by one shot one year and then win by a shot the next year, was a magical outcome.
Media release,
Nov 29, 2015
Kevin Dring, Bowls
Central Coast