Phil Skoglund facts for kids
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Birth name | Philip Charles Skoglund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 20 June 1937 Palmerston North, New Zealand |
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| Died | 8 May 2015 (aged 77) Palmerston North, New Zealand |
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| Years active | 1958–2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Bowls | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Northern | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Philip Charles Skoglund (born June 20, 1937, died May 8, 2015) was a famous lawn bowls player from New Zealand. He was part of a very talented family known for playing bowls.
Contents
Early Life and Family Ties
Philip Skoglund was born in 1937 in Palmerston North, New Zealand. His father, Philip Oscar Skoglund, was a politician and a government minister. This means he helped make important decisions for the country. Philip's uncle, Pete Skoglund, was also a champion lawn bowls player.
Amazing Bowls Career
Philip Skoglund started playing lawn bowls at a young age. Lawn bowls is a sport where players roll balls (called bowls) as close as possible to a small target ball.
Youngest Champion
In 1958, when he was just 20 years old, Philip became the youngest ever singles champion at the New Zealand National Bowls Championships. This was a huge achievement! He won this national title again in 1966, 1970, 1971, and 1972.
World Championships Success
Philip competed in five World Championships during his career. These were in 1966, 1972, 1980, 1984, and 1988. He won several medals:
- Gold Medal: In 1988, he won gold in the triples event.
- Silver Medals: He earned two silver medals in the fours event, one in 1984 and another in 1988.
- Bronze Medals: He also won three bronze medals. These were for pairs and fours in 1980, and for triples in 1984.
Commonwealth Games Medals
Philip also represented New Zealand at five Commonwealth Games. These are big sports events for countries that were once part of the British Empire. He competed in 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, and 1990.
- Bronze Medal: He won a bronze medal in the pairs event at the 1974 Games in Christchurch.
- Silver Medal: In 1978, he won a silver medal in the fours event in Edmonton.
- Bronze Medal: He added another bronze medal in the fours event at the 1990 Games in Auckland.
Awards and Recognition
For his great achievements in bowls, Philip Skoglund received special honors.
- In 1988, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This is an award from the Queen for people who have done amazing things.
- In 1990, he was added to the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. This means he is recognized as one of New Zealand's greatest sports heroes.
- In 2013, he was one of the first people to be inducted into the Bowls New Zealand Hall of Fame.
Skoglund Family Legacy
The Skoglund family is well-known for their talent in lawn bowls.
- Philip's son, Philip Skoglund junior, also played for New Zealand. He competed in the 1992 World Bowls and the 1994 Commonwealth Games.
- Philip junior and his brother Raymond Skoglund won the National Pairs championship in 1999.
- In 1991, Philip junior, Raymond, their father Philip, and Brett O'Riley came second in the National Fours event.
Later Life
Outside of bowls, Philip Skoglund worked as a manager for a transport company. He was married to Carol. Philip passed away in Palmerston North in 2015.
