August 12 heralds the start of the next World Bowls Series event.
Sixty-four players, featuring a plethora of stars, will battle it out across two knockout draws of 32 in the menโs and womenโs 2024 Australian Indoor Championships at Club Tweed.
Defending champion Ray Pearse returns to the tournament full of confidence after his World Bowls Indoor Championships mixed pairs title and an Australian Open fours crown.
Looking to become the first male since Jeremy Henry in 2015-16 to defend his crown, he enters the event as the top seed and takes on Forsterโ in the opening round.
Currently ranked #31, he has the chance to move up the WBS rankings five places and into the top 20 if he can hold onto his title in what is the second ranked event in Australia following on from the Australian Open when the Series was launched.
But the field is strong and others looking to gain more ranking points will be Corey Wedlock #5 and Ben Twist #22.
Pearseโs gold medal winning mixed pairs partner in Guernsey, Samantha Atkinson, is also in some supreme form as she looks to become the first player since Rebecca Van Asch to successfully go back-to-back.
Currently ranked #7, the Victorianโs opening contest sees her up against New South Walesโ Erin Swatridge.
2022 champion and the WBS #1 ranked player is in first round action against Sherilee Stewart, while Dawn Hayman #5, Kelly McKerihan #8 and Chloe Stewart #28 have also come through the tough qualifying process and are on the hunt to move up the rankings.
View the menโs singles draw here
View the womenโs singles draw here
The 2024 Australian Indoor Championships runs from August 12-15, 2024, at Club Tweed with all live streaming to take place on Bowls Australiaโs YouTube
World Bowls Series is the official year-long calendar of sanctioned events connecting to the official world rankings. It is a joint venture between World Bowls and Tier 5 Ventures. The sanctioned events occur across the globe and will feature a mixture of current and new events.
WBS currently has 29 sanctioned events. Each WBS event will belong to a different tier based on the size, location, and stature it presents for the game of bowls.
The purpose of WBS is to build the profile and brand of bowls, showcase the best players in the game, accelerate the legitimacy of the sport on the global stage and launch world rankings that will create clarity, and interest in the sport of bowls.
For more information regarding the World Bowls Series, please contact:
Neil Dalrymple
CEO, World Bowls
Author: Ceris Hewlings
Photo caption: Defending Australian Indoor Championship winners Ray Pearse and Samantha Atkinson.
Credit: Bowls Australia