XIII Asia Pacific Championships: Bukit Kiara Lawn Bowls Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The Australian bowls team will face its sternest litmus test in more than a year tonight (7/8) when the XIII Asia Pacific Championships ignite in to action in Malaysia.
Staged at the Bukit Kiara Lawn Bowls Centre in Kuala Lumpur, the biennial tournament, which will also serve as a qualifying event for the 2012 World Championships in South Australia, will feature 18 of the nation’s finest teams over nine action packed days.
After Australia dominated the 2007 Asia Pacific Championships in Christchurch, claiming an unprecedented 70 wins from 76 matches including four gold, two silver and two bronze medals from eight events, the acid will be placed firmly on the powerful green and gold outfit to replicate its heroics.
The challengers, however, are omnipresent, with the host nation ready to reaffirm their emerging status, while New Zealand will be hoping to reclaim its mantle as the region’s top superpower.
According to Australian assistant coach Ian Schuback, who helped oversee the highly successful 2007 campaign, the team is looking forward to the challenge of once again competing on the international stage.
“I guess when you think back to two years ago and the wonderful performance of the Australian side when they played 76 matches, won 70, drew two and only had four defeats, it’s almost impossible to replicate that performance,” Schuback said.
“(However) we’ve got plenty of experience in the women’s team.
“Lynsey Armitage and Karen Murphy will probably start favourites in the pairs’ event, (chasing their third consecutive gold medal together), while Julie Keegan for the first time ever will be skipping the Australian triples side.”
The 2009 Asia Pacific Championships will be staged at the Bukit Kiara Lawn Bowls Centre in Kuala Lumpur from August 8 to 16.
Competing nations: Australia, Brunei, Canada, China, Fiji, Hong Kong-China, India, Japan, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and United States.
*Meanwhile, two-time defending Asia Pacific champions Lynsey Armitage and Karen Murphy will commence their title defence in Kuala Lumpur tonight as they chase a rare hat-trick at the biennial event.
Since forming a formidable partnership at the 2005 Asia Pacific Championships at Darebin, the pair have become one of the greatest combinations in the history of the game and will be hoping to solidify their reputations over the next week with another gold medal winning performance in Malaysia.
With competition officials bringing their opening round match against the United States’ Anne Nunes and Maryna Hyland forward a day, Armitage and Murphy will hit the greens for the first time at 9.30pm (AEST) tonight before the remainder of the Australian contigent fire in to action tomorrow.
In the women’s triples, Coolum Beach’s Julie Keegan has been given the nod to skip Australia for the first time, with South Tweed’s Kelsey Cottrell and St Johns’ Claire Duke, who is making her Asia Pacific debut, in the middle.
Having captured silver at last year’s World Championships, the trio are well versed playing with each other, but face a tricky first up encounter against in Thailand.
