For the past four years, people from all over South Africa and neighbouring countries such as Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana, have come to Somerset West for the very popular Power Pairs tournament arranged by Burnt End Promotions, which is back in the basin and takes place on Friday 15, Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 December at Somerset West Bowls Club.
The Power Pairs is a lawn-bowls pairs tournament annually held in the Helderberg basin either at Somerset West or Helderberg Bowling Club. This year is the fifth edition of the tournament and also the richest pairs tournament in South Africa as R100 000 total prize money is up for grabs.
This year the tournament will be hosted by Somerset West Bowls Club and 2023 has again attracted a strong field consisting of various international, national and provincial players with some of the up and coming bowlers in the basin also entering for the event.
Five times SA Masters Champion Jason Evans, and former SA Junior Masters Champion and new Protea, Brendan Ferns, travelled all the way down from Gauteng whereas Namibian Petro Breedt will have a shorter trek as she hails from Garden Route these days.
Up-and-coming Boland player and new invitee to the SA Junior Masters, Adi Esau, will join former National Rugby Referee and CEO of Boland Rugby, Linston Manuel, in their quest for gold. There are various up and coming national stars in various national groups with Petula Fortuin from Boland, Claire Cowan (WP) and Shaun Thomas from Johannesburg who recently represented South Africa in the World Champion of Champions tournament also in the field.
Representing the local challenge, the current WP Singles Champion as well as WP Club Champion of Champions gold medallist Stefan Koen from Somerset West is joined by fellow club member and up-and-coming lead, Gareth Nell who has just being included in the Western Province Disa Squad.
The local boys will look to use the home-green advantage and bag the first prize of R50 000. The current World Transplant Games Singles silver medallist Jacques Carstens is also in the field and he will be joined by fellow Paarl Club teammate, Steven Killfoil.
Entry for spectators to this event is free at Somerset West Bowls Club situated at Somerset West Country Club. If you cannot make it to the venue you will not have to miss much of the action because each round will be live streamed on the Burnt End YouTube channel @burntend.
