2025 World Bowls Indoor Championship, 20 – 25 April 2025, Aberdeen Indoor Bowling Club, Aberdeen, Scotland – Day one wrap
Charles Amofah, president of the Bowls Federation of Ghana (centre) flanked by World Bowls president Brett O’Riley (left) and CEO Neil Dalrymple
It’s been an exciting first day at the 2025 World Bowls Indoor Championships at the impressive 12-rink Aberdeen Indoor Bowls Club.
Sixty-four bowlers are competing to become world champions in the men’s and women’s singles and mixed pairs events – it’s an event which pits national club winners from all points of the compass in combat with the possibility of a rags to riches fairytale – where a club bowler wins a world title – very much in play.
Winners from no fewer than 32 countries are staking their claim for the sought-after titles, including Namibia’s Christo Ronald Steenkamp and Diana Vilojen who have been practising on an artificial green made from an anchovy net.
“We don’t have this kind of surface and also don’t play with these type of bowls we are using here. There’s not much we can do; we do have one artificial green at the coast made from anchovy net which is very fast and the closest we can get to practising,” said Vilojen.
Bowls Ghana Federation president Charles Amofah meanwhile has travelled from West Africa on a fact-finding mission with the ambition to develop and promote the sport of which World Bowls will be instrumental in providing guidance and assistance in the lead up to an official launch. He has been in talks with World Bowls president Brett O’Riley and CEO Neil Dalrymple about the growth of the sport in his home country.
“Back home in Ghana we are in our formative period, and I want to use this opportunity to learn more about bowls and go home and pass the knowledge to my fellow Ghanians,” said Amofah who himself has only been playing bowls for four months and actually been using oranges or other spherical shaped objects before they can get some bowls to play with.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP
The World Bowls and International Indoor Bowls Council co-sanctioned event began with sectional rounds in all three competitions this morning (Sunday).
In the mixed pairs, early section leaders are England’s Emily Kernick and Dominic McVittie, the Israel/Scottish partnership of Boaz Markus and Kim Watt, Wales’ Lauren Gowen and Ross Owen, Scotland’s Claire Anderson and Stewart Anderson, Australia’s Kelsey Cottrell and Jack McShane and the Falkland Islands/Scotland combination of Oliver Thompson and Sophie McGrouther who all recorded two out of two wins from their games.
Special mention to Scotland players Kim Watt, Katie Rendall, Lauren Roddie and Ariana Mowat who have stepped in to play with the countries who only sent a male representative, namely Israel, Hungary, Pakistan and the Netherlands.
In the men’s singles, Isle of Man’s Mark McGreal, Ireland’s Andrew Kyle, Guernsey’s Ian Merrien, Wales’ Ross Owen, New Zealand’s Keanu Darby, Malaysia’s Muhammad Haiqal Bin Azami, Malta’s Peter Ellul, South Africa’s Jason Evans and Scotland’s Stewart Anderson all recorded two wins out of two, with Pakistan’s Muhammad Ayub Quershi and Australia’s Jack McShane, both triumphant in their sole game on opening day.
In the women’s discipline Alison Merrien MBE from Guernsey, Kelsey Cottrell, Australia, Rahsan Akar from Turkiye, Connie Rixon from Malta, returned winning scorecards from both their matches, while of the players who only had one game, Ireland’s Zoe Minish, England’s Emily Kernick, Caroline Whitehead, of the Isle of Man, defending champion Nor Farah Ain Abdullah, Esme Kruger from South Africa, Emma Firaya Binti Saroji, of Malaysia, Lisa Bonsor, of Spain and Sophie McGrouther, of Scotland, were also winners.
The group stages take place until Wednesday with knockout action on Thursday and Friday when matches will be streamed through the World Bowls Facebook and YouTube channels.
The event is a platinum event on the World Bowls Series calendar with ranking points at stake.
The winners of the men’s and women’s singles will also receive an invitation to compete at the World Bowls Tour World Indoor Bowls Championships at Potters Resorts in January 2026.
World Bowls Indoor Championship results can be followed at the World Bowls match centre: https://bit.ly/4lkdXXp
Live scoring can be found at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sJUyABySchCSXtqn5yfOal2sjUuH97MuhrmbGMAFA0c/edit?gid=1344150706#gid=1344150706
For full player list, roll of honour and more event information, see programme book: https://bit.ly/3YlyvoA
Report compiled by media officer – Ceris Hewlings ceris.hewlings@keypublishing.com
