Nanaimo's Jason Valchar stands top of the podium after winning a youth provincial tournament on July 21, 2019. (Peter Puttonen)

By Alex Rawnsley

SHOT WEIGHT

Nanaimo lawn bowler on a roll, punches his ticket to Nationals

Jul 22, 2019 | 8:21 AM

NANAIMO — A lawn bowler from Nanaimo will aim for a national title following a provincial tournament victory on his home soil.

Jason Valchar was the last player standing following a weekend Provincial tournament in Nanaimo involving several of the area’s top youth lawn bowlers.

Semi-final matchups were played the morning of Sunday, July 21 with Valchar matched up against Logan Saunderson, while Victoria’s Auzzie Chambers advanced against Luci Ewen. Ewen later defeated Saunderson for bronze.

Valchar then defeated Chambers Sunday afternoon to ensure his at the 2019 Canadian Youth Lawn Bowling Championship in Victoria August 6 to 10.

It will be far from Valchar’s first taste of national competition. The talented youth bowler represented BC at several high level tournaments, including in Nova Scotia in 2017.

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Nanaimo Lawn Bowling Club president Bernice Urbaniak said Valchar’s ascent in the sport it is a huge boost for the club.

“It’s so exciting to have one of our own members representing the club and BC at Nationals,” Urabaniak told NanaimoNewsNOW. “It’s something that happens once every few years for us.”

The development of a youth program in Nanaimo has been a deliberate measure for the local lawn bowling community. Typically played by retirees and seniors, several clubs are making a push to recruit younger members onto the greens.

“We hope it becomes a game that is played by multi-generational people and not something that is seen as something that retired people do,” Urabaniak said.

alex.rawnsley@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Alexrawsnley