{{Short description|South African bowler}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox sportsperson | headercolor = | name = Hester Bekker | image = | image_size = <!--Only for images narrower than 220 pixels.--> | caption = | birth_name = | fullname = | nickname = | nationality = South African | citizenship = | residence = | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | education = | alma_mater = | occupation = | yearsactive = | website = | country = | sport = | event = | league = | league_type = | employer = | agent = | height = | weight = | universityteam = | club = Leases, Sables | turnedpro = | partner = | former_partner = | coach = | coaching = | retired = | worlds = | regionals = | nationals = | olympics = | paralympics = | highestranking = | pb = | medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{RSA}}}} {{MedalSport| }} {{MedalCompetition|World Outdoor Championships }} {{MedalGold| 1996 Leamington Spa|triples}} {{MedalSilver| 1996 Leamington Spa|fours}} {{MedalGold| 1996 Leamington Spa|team}} {{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}} {{MedalGold | 1994 Victoria | fours }} {{MedalGold | 1998 Kuala Lumpur | fours }} {{MedalCompetition|Atlantic Bowls Championships}} {{MedalGold|1995 Durban|triples}} {{MedalSilver|1995 Durban|fours}} {{MedalGold|1997 Llandrindod Wells|fours}} {{MedalGold|1999 Cape Town|fours}} {{MedalSilver|1999 Cape Town|pairs}} }}
'''Hester Bekker''' is a former international lawn and indoor bowls competitor for South Africa.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kl98.thecgf.com/athletes/lawn.htm|title=Player profiles|publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=1 September 2017|archive-date=1 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401203324/http://kl98.thecgf.com/athletes/lawn.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Bowls career== In 1996, Bekker won the gold medal in the triples at the 1996 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Adelaide.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bowlstawa.nz/titles/players/titles/2634|title=Profile|publisher=Bowls Tawa}}</ref> Four years later, Bekker just missed out on a bronze medal after losing the triples bronze play off match in Moama.
She was part of the fours team that won the gold medal at both the 1994 Commonwealth Games, it was the first time that South Africa had won a gold medal since 1958, following the return from their Anti-Apartheid Movement Commonwealth ban enforced in 1961.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/08/26/South-African-bowlers-lift-gold/2355777873600/|title=South African bowlers lift gold|publisher=UPI}}</ref>
She won another gold at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/commonwealth/bowls.htm|title=COMMONWEALTH GAMES MEDALLISTS - BOWLS|publisher=GBR Athletics}}</ref>
Bekker has won five medals at the Atlantic Bowls Championships. In 1995 she won triples gold medal and fours silver medal in her home country.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/IF0503392012/GDCS?u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=9b165530|title=Jones, D.R. (1995) 'S Africa's bowlers reclaim top spot'|date=24 April 1995|newspaper=The Times|access-date=25 May 2021|page=21|via=The Times Digital Archive|url-access=subscription}}{{Dead link|date=December 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/IF0503393918/GDCS?u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=f061afde|title='For the Record' (1995)|date=1 May 1995|newspaper=The Times|access-date=25 May 2021|page=32|via=The Times Digital Archive|url-access=subscription}}{{Dead link|date=December 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> Two years later in 1997 she won the fours gold medal in Wales<ref>{{cite news|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/IF0500852516/GDCS?u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=af5dfd48|title=Dunwoodie, G. (1997) 'Hawes and Price take title for England'|date=27 August 1997|newspaper=The Times|access-date=25 May 2021|page=39|via=The Times Digital Archive|url-access=subscription}}{{Dead link|date=December 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/IF0500853993/GDCS?u=oxfshlib&sid=GDCS&xid=fc8942ed|title=Dunwoodie, G. (1997) 'Price savours singular feat'|date=3 September 1997|newspaper=The Times|access-date=25 May 2021|page=46|via=The Times Digital Archive|url-access=subscription}}{{Dead link|date=December 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> before winning two more medals in Cape Town during 1999, including a third Atlantic Championships gold.
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bekker, Hester}} Category:Living people Category:Bowls players at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Category:Bowls players at the 1998 Commonwealth Games Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for South Africa Category:South African female bowls players Category:Bowls World Champions Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Medallists at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Category:Medallists at the 1998 Commonwealth Games Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in lawn bowls