Bill and Louisa Arthur and Nancy Fargo will be known as “Canada B” at the World Short Mat Bowling Championships in Sweden next month.
The trio will represent Canada as one of two triples teams.
Along with Ralph Hewitt, who is playing on a doubles team, they are the Cobourg contingent for the games.
“It’s my time of life to represent my country at an international event, albeit a minority sport. It’s just something great that I never expected,” Bill Arthur said.
“To represent your country, even if I’m nervous, once I get bowling, I should be okay,” Louisa Arthur added.
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The trio placed fourth at the Canadian Short Mat Championships in November, but qualified because the team ahead of them had already earned a berth into the worlds.
“It’s really exciting, but it won’t hit until I’m at the airport,” Nancy Fargo said.
The Cobourg Lawn Bowling Club bowls at the Cobourg Community Centre on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the fall and winter.
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Short mat bowling is a lot like lawn bowling. The principles are the same — get your ball as close to the jack (the little white ball) at the other end of the mat.
The game resembles curling. But the major difference is the mat is 45 feet long, or roughly a third of the length of the outdoor rink.
There’s also another major difference. A small windmill is placed in the middle of the mat, as an obstacle for the bowlers.
“We have to play around that. It would be too easy without it,” Bill Arthur said.
The world championships will be held in Sweden from March 23-25.