Promising New Zealand bowler Aiden Takarua made a winning start on the opening day of the 2024 World Bowls Champion of Champions at Browns Bay, North Harbour today.

The 25-year-old, formerly from Auckland but now based in Southland, won both of his games after a morning bye on the first day of competition at the Browns Bay Bowling Club.

There are 29 men and 24 women from 30 countries competing over nine rounds of section play ahead of knockout rounds of quarterfinals, semifinals and finals from Tuesday to Saturday.

There are 18 bowlers unbeaten after the opening day with players spread over three sections of men and women.

Unbeaten women comprise Joy Peyroux (Niue), Marianne Kuenzle (Switzerland). Milika Nathan (Tonga), Gloria Ha (Hong Kong), Nayan Saikia (India), Teokotai Jim (Cook Islands), Laini McGorman (Australia), Anneke Scheepers (South Africa), Stef Branfield (England) and defending champion Anne Nunes (USA) who had just one game today.

“The nerves going into this first one was hard, especially sitting out the first round, watching everyone else play. It was nice to get this one,” said Nunes, who is attempting to become the first person to defend their title at the Champion of Champions.

“Coming back as defending champion does add some pressure. I heard a couple of people say - look it’s USA. That is something I have never experienced – the last person to win a gold medal for USA in bowls was in the 1970s. It was quite a thrill last year and coming here people seem to know who I am this time which does add some pressure.”

She has come in good form this week.

“We had our USA Open two weeks ago which was really good practice coming in to this, and we came a week early to get used to them. Our grass greens run at 12 or 13 seconds and here we are seeing 16-18 seconds, so quite a bit different – faster but so nice.

“You can’t under-estimate anyone here. It was a good tough first round to get, (beating Connie Rixon from Malta in a tight match).”

In the men’s first day, unbeaten players comprise world no 2 ranked Izzat Shameer Dzulkepie (Malaysia), Royden Aperau (Cook Islands), Ross Owen (Wales), Lewis King (England), Putul Sonowal (India), Pat Bird (Canada), Lee Schraner (Australia) and Takarua.

There were no upsets of any significance with local focus on Takarua who enjoyed two wins with a tight 1.5 to 0.5 win over Malta (6-4 5-5) but a dominant victory over Japan’s Masahiro Kawamoto 12-3, 6-5.

“It has been a good start” said Takarua. “I did not quite get straight sets in the first game but that is okay because getting the results helped calm the nerves.

“The grass greens out here are a lot quicker that what we played on inside at the Oceania Challenge at the weekend. And it is definitely different with the conditions and the winds but I will try to play some good bowls.

“The adjustment to get on to these fast greens pleased me most – getting my line and sometimes also the weight. The key is to keep that lime, keep the focus with these short sets so you can’t switch on and switch off but keep it going and hopefully the results will come.”

It was not such good news for New Zealand women’s representative Leeane Poulson who dropped both first-day games in tight encounters.

She lost the first round to Laini McGorman in a tiebreak and the second to Gloria Ha (Hong Kong China) 4-5 5-9.

“It was a bit in and out – sometimes I was bowling good bowls and sometimes was not. The inconsistency is what I have to try to turn around,” said Poulson.

“The greens are beautiful, lovely to play on. It is just the idiot behind the bowl that was the problem.

“Both Laini and Gloria played very well, both very good bowlers. The key is to go back home and relax, another day tomorrow, and perhaps relax a bit more. I probably put too much on myself today.”

There are three days of section play before elimination round s moving through to the finals on Saturday.

Caption: Performers at the opening ceremony, and Namibia bowlers Waylon Wentzel and Amanda Steenkamp watch on.

Results - Men: https://results.mc.worldbowls.com/competition/eac5e39b-eebb-4988-9a34-6f1629b5755a#ladder

Results – Women: https://results.mc.worldbowls.com/competition/75e5ca33-04c0-4d0b-8d8d-f4a67ab606d0#ladder