World’s top young bowlers lock horns at Jim Baker Stadium in Ballyclare
The Junior World Indoor Bowls Championships commenced in Ballyclare on Monday as 24 of the top young lawn bowlers set their sights on gold.
By Sports Desk
Published 6th Dec 2022, 11:16 BST
Hosted at the Jim Baker Stadium near the rural village of Parkgate – home of the County Antrim Indoor Bowling Club – and promoted by the International Indoor Bowls Council (IIBC) in conjunction with World Bowls, competitors from 14 countries are taking part in the men’s and women’s singles, and mixed pairs.
The world’s top bowling countries from the home nations and Australia are going up against relative newcomers to the sport, including Hungary and Switzerland.
IIBC President Peter Brill said: “Finally our sport has been restored to some degree of normality following the trauma of the Covid 19 outbreak and the repercussions of the pandemic.
“Our sport needs more than ever to re-establish the togetherness of bowlers in fierce competition whilst showing to the world our ability to compete in a friendly atmosphere.”
Our sport needs more than ever to re-establish the togetherness of bowlers in fierce competition whilst showing to the world our ability to compete in a friendly atmosphere.”
Ireland’s Shauna O’Neill from Limavady and Daniel Spratt were unbeaten after two rounds of the singles on Monday along with Harry Goodwin (England), Kara Lees (Scotland), Yu Yee Sin (Hong Kong) and Ruby Hill (England).
Thrown in at the deep end, Australia’s high-flying duo of Brianna Smith and Nick Cahill, coached by reigning women’s world champion Karen Murphy, opened their bid for the mixed pairs title with a convincing 9-3, 11-1 victory over top England internationals Ruby Hill and Harry Goodwin.
The Aussies were immediately installed a favourites to win the mixed title.
Sarolta Schrank and Mate Dobos, members of the burgeoning Hungarian Bowlsport Federation that embraces all forms of rolling-ball sports, did well to win the second set at a canter, but it was Guernsey’s Catherine Snell and Ben Harvey who got home on a tense tiebreak, 8-4, 1-10, 1-0.
“We don’t even have proper bowling greens in Hungary,” admitted Dobos.
“We play on what you in the UK would call short mats, and we also play bocca, and other similar sports. It’s a great experience being here and playing at this level.”
The five-day tournament will conclude on Friday.
MEN’S SINGLES
Section A: First round: Harry Goodwin (England) bt Nick Cahill (Australia) 12-5, 7-2; Chow Ho Yin (Hong Kong) bt Adam Rankin (Ireland) 3-10, 9-4, 1-0; Ben Harvey (Guernsey) bt Angel Gomez (USA) 12-1, 11-5.