Namibia’s lawn bowls representative Waylon Wentzel enjoyed a dream start to his Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games campaign after defeating Botswana in his opening men’s singles match.
Making his Commonwealth Games debut, Wentzel displayed remarkable composure in a tightly contested encounter. The opening set finished level at 7-7, forcing the match into a decisive second set, where the Namibian edged his opponent 6-5 to secure a memorable victory. The win gives Team Namibia an encouraging start in the lawn bowls competition and provides Wentzel with valuable momentum as he prepares to face some of the Commonwealth’s leading bowlers in the remaining rounds.
Meanwhile, Namibia’s women’s bowls team opened its campaign against a formidable England side. The Namibian trio, featuring Amanda Steenkamp and Diana Viljoen, together with their teammate, fought hard but went down 6-3 in the opening set before narrowly losing the second set 4-3.
Although the result did not go Namibia’s way, the performance highlighted the team’s determination against one of the sport’s traditional powerhouses and provided valuable international experience.
With the Games now in full swing, Team Namibia will be aiming to build on Wentzel’s winning start as athletes across several sporting codes continue their quest for success in Glasgow.
By Rudi Bowe
