Paritutu bowler Aidan Zittersteijn is all set for his second Commonwealth Games – with a lifetime highlight already locked in for this year’s event.
Zittersteijn has been announced as joint flag bearer for the Cook Islands at the Games that commence in Birmingham this Thursday. Nooroa Mataio, who is part of the women’s bowls side, has also be named.
“It is going to be an overwhelming opportunity for me,” Zittersteijn said. “It really is an honour to be doing it.”
Zittersteijn said the opening ceremony on Thursday evening (UK time) would be an unforgettable experience. “It is a source of pride and huge motivation. I’m going to take in every moment.”
It will be Zittersteijn’s second Games, having secured a bronze medal in the men’s pairs in 2018 on the Gold Coast. That was an historic moment for the small nation with it being its first and only Games medal.
Birmingham presents a different set of challenges, not least the greens which will be lucky to get to 12s at Royal Leamington Spa. But the New Plymouth-based Zittersteijn said after more than a week of practicing at Frampton on Severn, he was “now getting the hang of it”.
Zittersteijn’s team mate from the Gold Coast, Taiki Paniani, won’t feature this time.
Instead, Zittersteijn will play in the middle of the triples which starts Friday evening (UK time). The Cooks have drawn Australia, Jersey and Niue in its pool and require a top-two finish to make the quarterfinals.
Zittersteijn will then play No 3 in the fours, where the Cooks opponents in section play include England, India and Fiji.
Zittersteijn has headed to the Games on the back of a strong local season, which included winning two Taranaki titles and more recent PBA successes on the carpet at Paritutu.
However, they were not enough for him to take out the title of Taranaki men’s player of the year. That honour instead went to Zittersteijn’s skip, Hamish Kape, who headed off Darren Goodin for the title, after both players claimed three titles. The women’s honour went to Susan Cottam.
Meanwhile, Paritutu were named as club the year and its secretary, Sandra Zittersteijn – Aidan’s mother – was administrator of the year.
Other award winners were Nathan Goodin (youth player), Lloma Hibell (umpire) and Steve Sabine and Graham Reive (greenkeepers).