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Touchline:
Bowls is not a typical sport
for young athletes. Why did you take
up the sport?
Tracy-Lee Botha:
I started playing bowls
at Turffontein Bowling Club when I
was 14 years old. My father Dudley
Botha started playing and my brother
and I were taken to the club every
weekend to watch him until we got
bored of watching and decided to play.
Club member Dolores van der Linda
decided to step up to the plate and put
us under her wing, showed us how the
game should be played and the right
etiquette that should be used on the
green.
The club members had gone out of
their way to support us and that’s what
kept us going. We had both won the
novice singles at the club that same
year so we decided to take up bowls
competitively. Being at such a young
age, bowls was a bit boring to start
with because we were used to the
fast contact sports at school - I had
full colours in athletics, cross-country,
netball, hockey and even cricket - but
mentally it was challenging.
I really do recommend that more young
people take up the sport, it is for all
ages and you do need to be skilled to
start to play the game. It is competitive,
challenging, skilful and most of all, it’s
fun.
TL:
What do you consider to be your
major successes to date?
TB:
I was selected for Central
Gauteng U25 provincial
side in 2004 and really
enjoyed every second. I
was selected for the Bowls
South Africa Silver Squad
where I had gained most
of my experience as well
as made so many good
friends. Then Bowls South
Africa introduced the Bowls
South Africa Junior Masters
in 2007. The first year of the
tournament I was runner-up,
second year – bronze medal,
then the third year, 2009, I
won.
Then the U25 provincials
were held in George in June
2009 where the selections
for all the BSA sides were
announced. I really did not
expect to hear that I was
selected for the Gold Squad, to
represent South Africa in the African
States Tournament held in Swaziland
that August as well as the Namibian
Test held in Durban in November.
We had won the Gold in our Triples
and Fours which were the two sides I
had played in and then our team went
ahead to win the Gold in the Namibian
test. For me I think it was a great start
to my international bowls career.
The day the announcement of the
Commonwealth Games team was
made, I was truly grateful to be
selected to play the triples with two
fantastic team members and managed
to snatch the gold from our Aussie
rivals in the final. In February 2011
I participated in the Bowls South
Africa Masters Open section once
again where I had brought home the
gold. What a great moment that was.
I was also selected in a great squad
to represent South Africa alongside a
great team in Cyprus last year where
I got the opportunity to share the pairs
silver medal with my role-model Colleen
Piketh.
TL:
Y
ou recently competed in the
SOUTH AFRICAN BOWLS CHAMPION,
TRACY-LEE BOTHA
Tracy-Lee Botha has the potential to be number 1 in the world in her chosen sport of lawn
bowls. For a sport generally considered to be for the more mature person, Tracy-Lee is aged
just 23. She has recently been in Australia for the world indoor singles, finishing 8th overall.
Touchline caught up with her to find out more about her and the sport of lawn bowls.
TOP GIRL:
Tracy Lee Botha 23, one of the world’s
top young bowlers with the SA Master’s trophy she
won in Pretoria for two consecutive years. She is
in the SA team to travel to Australia in May.
touchline
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