BOWLING TOURNEY STARTS ON MONDAY

Chronicle (Levin), 10 January 1948, Page 3

BOWLING TOURNEY STARTS ON MONDAY

DUNEDIN, Jan. 9. The largest gathering of bowlers ever assembled in the Dominion wil'l take part in tlie New Zealand championsliip tournament which will begin in Dunedin on Monday. In spite of tlie infantile paralysis epidemic in the north tliere have been very few defeetions and entries are 'a record. It is expected that there will be about 1(500 players taking part. Every oue of the 22 centres in New Zealand is represented and the list includes the names of most of the prominent conipetitors and previous prize-winners. At tlie closing date there were 880 entries for tlie singles, 680 ' for the pairs, and 344 for the fours. This total of 1904 entries exeeeded the previous record entry. of 1866 at Christchurch in 194(5 by 61, and is far in excess of the entries received when the tournamcnt was last lield in Dunedin in 1944, even though the entry of 1276 was at that time a Dominion record. clbout one-quarter of the players are from the North Island, and the entry includes six teams of fours from British Columbia, also 12 pairs, and 21 singles. The Canadian players,. who... are on a goodwill visit to the Dominion, will arrive in Dunedin at the week-end and will be tendered a civie recepti'On by the Mayor (IMr. D. C. Cameron) on. Monday inorning. Tliose playing in the singles will have their first game on Monday afternoon, The opening Ceremony will take place at 8 a.m. on Monday and will be performed by the president of the assoeiation- (Mr. •JTlT. Davis, of Dunedin).