Aarons named World Bowls president
AFTER holding the presidency of Bowls Australia for the past two years, Joe Aarons will now take his leadership one step further following his recent election as the new president of World Bowls.
AFTER holding the presidency of Bowls Australia for the past two years, Joe Aarons will now take his leadership one step further following his recent election as the new president of World Bowls.
Aarons will become the first Jewish person and only the second Australian to take charge of the sport’s governing body, after getting just one vote more than previous president John McArdle in the organisation’s election.
“It means a lot to be the first Jew in the job,” Aarons told The AJN.
“It’s good for the Jewish community to be represented and I’m very passionate about this sport.”
The veteran administrator started his involvement in bowls in 1985 and has since worked his way up through the various governing organisations.
Aarons has been on the board of several bowls clubs – as well as Maccabi Victoria – and took over as president of Bowls Australia in 2010.
He will now lead the establishment that looks after the 49 member nations when he assumes his role at the World Bowls Biennial Council Meeting at the 2012 World Championships in Adelaide next month.
“Everything has evolved since I first started,” Aarons said.
“I never envisaged myself as being the president of World Bowls, but to get that position is a big achievement and a lot of hard work has paid off.”
Aarons has seen the sport take off in Australia in recent times, with the number of players rising by more than four times to
1.1 million.
His vision is to see the same effect on an international scale and he hopes that the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, will play a big role in that.
“We will be setting up a new strategic plan for 2013-16 involving all the nations,” Aarons said.
“We want to have as many people playing as possible and to have bowls recognised as one of the top sports in Australia and the world.
“It is one of the leading sports at the Commonwealth Games. I’ll be there as president of World Bowls and we’ll work with the Games federation to get the sport to the highest standard.”
Aarons is looking forward to the prospect of leading the governing body, but admitted it will not be an easy job.
“I know it is going to be a lot of hard work,” Aarons said.
“But it’s something I enjoy and always have, and now it’s about developing the sport further and getting many people involved.”
Ashley Shenker
Photo: Peter Haskin
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