Historic Bexhill tournament to return in 2019

It was announced back in March that the Bexhill Men’s Open Bowls Tournament, as it had been known, wouldn’t be taking place in 2018 as new tournament organiser Mike Evans couldn’t commit to the role due to personal circumstances.

Evans did say, though, that he hoped the historic week-long tournament, which last year was played for the 80th time, could be resurrected in the future - and that has now proved the case.

A new set of volunteers have pledged their services to ensure the tournament can take place in 2019, including an organising secretary, sponsorship and advertising secretary, raffle organiser and tournament web developer (with an associated Facebook page and enquiries email).

Next year’s tournament will begin on Monday August 5, 2019 and, as in the past, will run throughout the week until concluding the following Saturday.

The tournament will, as usual, be run across local bowls greens, primarily The Polegrove, but also at Spartan & Lakeside and Sidley Martlets bowls clubs.

Next year’s event will be bigger than in previous years because, for the first time for many years, it will include two ladies’ competitions.

The ladies’ events will be limited initially to singles and pairs until the committee has a better feel for the total numbers of bowlers interested in taking part. The men’s competitions - singles, pairs and triples - will run as normal.

Entry fees have been kept at £4 per entry, and the prize money has been increased for the men’s singles and pairs.

The men’s singles winner will receive £750, with the runner-up earning £375. The men’s pairs winners will each net £200, with £100 each going to the losing finalists. The ladies’ singles winner will pocket £350 and the runner-up £175, with the pairs winners scooping £100 each and the runners-up £50 apiece.

Anyone entering the tournament who subsequently gains entry to the National Championships during the same week will have their entry fees refunded. It is hoped that B&B discounts will be available for bowlers travelling from further afield.

Once the tournament website has been completed, fliers will be produced to circulate to all local clubs and it is hoped that as many bowlers as possible, both male and female, will enter next year to ensure the continuing success of the long-running event.

Anybody requiring further information can email [email protected]

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