Bendigo lawn bowler Nathan Wilson has been included in the Bowls Australia National Training Centre squad.
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The 22-year-old has made great improvement in the past three years, highlighted by a stunning win in the Australian Open men’s singles final in 2014.
His selection in the NTC squad comes hot on the heels of older brother Aaron Wilson being picked to represent Australia at this year’s world championships in the New Zealand.
The NTC program is the sport’s second-tier high-performance program, and aims to identify and develop players with the ability and capability for future international representation.
National coach Steve Glasson, who oversees Bowls Australia’s high-performance squads, said the players selected in the NTC have earned their privileged position, but issued a stern warning that they need to live up to high expectations.
“This is a great stepping stone to further honours and a privileged opportunity to be a part of our sport’s elite program, and to work with the experienced and very knowledgeable state and territory based NTC coaches,” Glasson said.
“The thing to remember as a selected player is this is not the time to relax, this is the time to get fair dinkum and commit and work tirelessly to ensure players reach their potential.
“I am not interested in our NTC coaches committing valuable time, resources and expertise into those who only have mediocre goals or a lacklustre desire to be the absolute best they can be.
This is a competitive environment, I can’t wait to see how these NTC squad members adapt and dig in.
“Australia is the number-one ranked country and that’s where we aim to stay. These players are our future and with this comes commitment, sacrifice and sweat, with that comes results only the committed will enjoy.”
Originally from North Bendigo Bowls Club, Nathan Wilson now plays pennant bowls for Essendon in the Bowls Victoria metropolitan pennant competition.
Earlier this year he joined forces with siblings Cameron and Matthew to guide Essendon to victory in the men’s fours at the Bowls Victoria State Champions Week at Bendigo East.
Nathan was also a key member of Essendon’s premiership-winning squad in Melbourne.
The Essendon squad had a strong Bendigo flavour with Nathan Wilson, Matt Wilson, Cameron Wilson, Aaron Tomkins, Darren Burgess and Peter Loe all part of the premiership victory.