Nanaimo’s top lawn bowler won’t just be playing for himself, or his teammate, but also for two big fans.
Hirendra Bhartu won the Bowls B.C. men’s pairs championship last month, teaming with West Vancouver’s Tim Mason to take gold in Victoria and earn a berth at nationals. Bhartu and Mason won a national championship in men’s pairs in 2006 but hadn’t been playing together in recent summers. Then West Van got awarded the national tournament and Mason signed on as the event’s chairman and invited his parents to come from Ontario to watch.
“[They] are very enthusiastic about bowls…” said Bhartu. “So I said, ‘Hmm. It would be nice if we could play.’”
The two friends gave it another go at provincials and succeeded, winning all but one game and finishing with a convincing victory in the final. Bhartu said it was a good feeling to win, and said it wasn’t difficult to get used to bowling with Mason again.
“It was easy because me and Tim are buddies,” he said. “Though we haven’t bowled [lately], the chemistry is never a problem.”
Nationals will be held Aug. 18-24.