Roy Garden calls it a day

Lovemore Dube Senior Sports Editor
COMMONWEALTH Games gold medalist Roy Garden has called time on his glittering career, which saw him take part on the world stage on numerous occasions.
Garden said he has decided to step down at the top of his game having taken part in the World Champion of Champions in Christcurch in New Zealand last month. The event attracted 25 countries and the Bulawayo born lawn bowls specialist finished fifth bringing to an end an eventful sporting career.

“It’s time for new blood to take over in the game and take it forward in the best possible way,” said Garden yesterday.
He said he was proud to have represented his country in international competitions. He said it could have been better showings by him but is content with near misses at some of the big events though the 1998 Commonwealth Games singles victory and hoisting the Zimbabwe flag at the end of the competition will remain career highs.

“After winning the gold medal the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee’s Robert Mutsauki recommended that I be the flag bearer. It was an incredible moment there leading the country’s athletes.

“Guys from athletics who were in the team felt I should have been one of the sprinters with the way I was overjoyed and running in jubilation,” said Garden.
He said his experiences were humbling.

“I am retiring from Lawn Bowling at domestic and international level with effect from January 31, 2014. I am both grateful and humbled by the experiences afforded to me in representing Zimbabwe at African States, World Bowls and Commonwealth Games and I would like to publicly thank every person who made this amazing journey possible,” said Garden.

Another memorable event in his career was representing the country as five-time champion at the New Zealand event. He heaped praise on the Zimbabwe Lawn Bowls Association for the support and sponsorship facilitation in the last years of his career and also the Sport and Recreation Commission and Zimbabwe Olympic Committee.
Born in Bulawayo on March 20, 1961, Garden attended school in the city, Harare and Mutare.

He was attested into the police force in 1980 and remembers vividly President Mugabe being sworn in as the new Prime Minister of independent Zimbabwe.
At school Garden received colours in a number of sporting disciplines among them squash, cricket, hockey and soccer.

He played an exhibition match with Lucy Souther who was world number one when the Suburbs Squash Courts were commissioned. He was the only player to beat her.
“I remember playing with Bruce Grobbelaar briefly at OMS where we had players like Boyce Malunga and Tito Paketh. At hockey I deputised Collin Williams as captain of the team,” said the gold medalist.

He said he would spend more time with his fiancée Leslie Peinke, with whom he has been with for over 20 years. Peinke is also a bowling enthusiast and they have previously played together in national championships.