Talat Mehmood

Profile: Geua Tau

The triumph of youth

EUA Tau’s gold medal was a ■ ■ triumph of youth over experi ence. At 32, she was affec tionately labelled the “baby” of the women’s singles bowls competition by her older, more experienced opponents.

But the Port Moresby housewife turned on a superb exhibition of draw bowling. Early on she defeated eventual bronze-medal winner Margaret John ston, of Northern Ireland, and then simply played better and better, thrashing world champion Janet Ack land, of Wales, to make the final.

“I thought I would win all the way through,” Geua said later: “Since the tournament started I’d been playing well. I knew all along.” And she wasn’t the only one. Two days in advance, Kiwi favourite and eventual silver medallist Millie Khan told Geua: “I’ll see you in the final.”

It was a final to go down in Games folklore: drama huge crowd support for Khan, matched in noise by Geua’s 50 PNG teammates and tragedy as some supporters knew what had been kept from Khan, that her baby grandson had collapsed and died that morning at the Pakuranga bowls complex entrance. Af ter Khan took an early lead, Geua peg ged it back to win comfortably 25-18.

Shedding her playing poise, Geua took a PNG flag thrust at her by delighted teammate lammo Launa and danced down' the green.

Geua says her morning win over Ack land had topped up her confidence, but she pays tribute to husband Tau Tau for putting her in the right frame of mind.

“Two or three hours before, he took me sightseeing. It kept my mind off things so I was relaxed and cool throughout.”

But Tau says that’s his wife’s normal style. “She’s a pretty cool player. A lot of people tend to run up and down the green but she just gets out there and plays. Even when she’s down her play ing’s cool.”

The pair met at university in Lae. Tau had started bowling in 1981 and a year later introduced his wife to the sport.

Geua says she liked bowls “from the start”. Now Tau acts “more or less” as her coach. “Some shots I don’t under stand,” she said. “I ask him. He more or less tells me what shot to play if the head is difficult.”

Geua’s medal the first gold for PNG, and only the country’s second medal ever in the Games was the realisation of a family commitment. Tau explains: “We had a talk when we were selected and decided the only thing to do was to win a medal for our country in

the Tau family.” First they had to raise the 800 kina each to compete at the Games, with family and friends helping with barbecue and a fundraising dance.

Tau says he “played his guts out” in the men’s singles but lost all but one game to finish 7th. “So I turned around and told my wife, just keep drawing.”

And she did.

Geua’s only previous overseas competi tion had been a mediocre showing at the 1988 World Bowls in Auckland. But Geua believes PNG’s domestic standard of play is tough, despite the comparative lack of women bowlers 200 in the whole country, only 18 at her own club, Boroko. “The women have a pretty high standard. They are aggressive, especially in singles,” Geua says. She should know, as the current national club and masters singles champion. “And we also play against men and have tough games.”

Geua believes her golden success can only boost the popularity of bowls in PNG. “In athletics and boxing we have the potential but don’t have the facilities.

But bowls only need a green and the talent is there.” □

Talat Mehmood

Gold: Geua Tau and husband Tau with Papua New Guinea's best win.