Israeli siblings team up to win the world bowls championship

Brothers David and Zvika Hadar traveled the world together when they were young, before they had their own families.

Forty years later, after being in Brazil and Jamaica, they wanted to go on another adventure and feel young again.

We went to Amsterdam to celebrate New Year’s Eve, but that was just a quick visit before heading to the beautiful Potters Resort in Hopton-On-Sea, Norfolk.

It might not be a popular route, but they had a good reason – they were the Israeli players competing in the Open Pairs at the World Indoor Bowls Championships.

They were not able to play on the famous blue rink because they lost their first round match in a tie-break against Scotland’s Ronnie Duncan and Colin Walker.

David was happy with his first time performing on the big stage.

“He said he had a great time. ” “I’m really pleased with how our team did, even though we didn’t win. ”

“I like the people here, they are very nice. It’s special to be here. The food is great, the shows are great, and all the staff are wonderful. This place is beautiful. ”

It’s hard to leave Israel.

It’s not easy to qualify for the World Championships, and the ongoing fight between the Hadar brothers’ home country Israel and Hamas made it even harder.

David, who is 69 years old and no longer working, and Zvika, who is 65 years old and works in real estate, both live in the city of Ra’anana. Ra’anana is around 6 miles (10km) north of Tel-Aviv.

Zvika says it was hard to decide to leave their home because of the current situation.

“He said that Israelis are a little scared when they hear about anti-Semitism in the world. ”

In Amsterdam and here, everyone has been very supportive and sympathetic, which has pleasantly surprised me.

Deciding to come here was hard because in Israel, we have been sad for the last three months about the people we know who got hurt or died.

In November, I didn’t go to the Scottish International competition even though I could, because it was too close to the problem. It wasn’t okay to leave the bad situation and go have fun.

“I also wanted to come here and show Israelis in a positive way on TV and in person, instead of only focusing on the war and the people who are getting hurt. ”

Spending a week with my brother and trying to win against the best bowlers in the world has been really fun.

Adjusting something inside.

During the World Championships, Wayne Willgress and Mervyn King, who are top players, have said that it’s really hard to figure out how fast the blue rink is, even though they live nearby.

David and Zvika have a hard time because there are no indoor bowls places in Israel. They both belong to Ra’Annana Bowls Club.

“Bowling is not as popular in Israel as it is here,” Zvika says. “There are four groups of people, each with 400-500 members, playing on the grass. ”

“We’re not used to being inside all the time, so it’s hard for us to get used to it when we’re here. ”

Luckily, some past champions were there to help David, who hasn’t been playing for very long.

“I practiced with two very experienced bowlers, Greg Harlow and David Gourlay MBE, as a new international bowler,” he said.

“They were both really kind, they helped me and gave me advice. ” I got new bowls because of them.

Zvika has been bowling for a long time and has won competitions at a high level, including beating the world champion in 2010.

He remembers playing with the best players in the world for the first time.

“It was the same for me, especially in the first few years. They always want to help the new overseas players who don’t have much experience on this blue portable rink, which is not easy,” he said.

“I’ve been bowling for 20 years and the event at Potters is the most exciting and fun. The people here are friendly and the conditions for us as players are great. It’s also shown on TV all over the world. We really enjoy coming here and having a great time. ”

David and Zvika lost their game, but playing bowls together has brought them back together after a long time.

Zvika said we were very close when we were young, but then we got married and started our own families.

“Now two brothers are going on a trip together and having a lot of fun. “