THE World Bowls Board announces with regret that John Bell has stepped down from his office as President, Chair and Director of World Bowls with immediate effect.
The World Bowls Appointments Committee met yesterday on Sunday 18 July and appointed Oceania Regional Director Darryl Clout from Australia as the new President and Chair with immediate effect, to fill the vacancy left by Bell’s resignation until the Biennial Council meeting to be held at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Appointments Committee Acting Chair, European Regional Director Garry Collins said, ‘The Board is extremely grateful to John for his nine years of service to World Bowls, seven years as President and two years as European Regional Director and wishes him well in his retirement, a sentiment which I am sure is shared by all World Bowls member countries.’
Mr Collins added, ‘Daryl has over 25 years of national and international sports administration experience, including having been a Past President of Softball Australia and Bowls Australia; a professional career as Head of the NSW Department of Sport & Recreation and involvement with Commonwealth Games Australia as a Director. He is ideally experienced to lead the organisation over the next challenging year.
‘I feel privileged to be elected as President of the sport’s international body,’ Clout said. ‘The next 12 months will continue to present huge challenges as the world tries to deal with the effects of a global pandemic which has led us to change the way we all live, work and play.
‘With the encouragement and support of our members, our Board has decided to conduct a major review of what our sport should look like as we head into the next decade.
‘Our vision, our mission, our values and how we present the sport will all come under scrutiny. Along with my Board and our members I hope to be able to play a key part in that review so when it is concluded we can all enjoy the benefits this great sport has to offer,’ he concluded.
Photos: Daryl Clout, Garry Collins and John Bell.