What do a statistician, law student, storeman, plumber, teacher, nurse and legal receptionist all have in common?
They are bidding for world glory in the World Bowls Junior Indoor Championship at the Jim Baker Stadium, home to County Antrim IBC, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Thirty-six players from 18 countries are competing in the four-day tournament which will see new champions crowned in men’s singles, women’s singles and mixed pairs.
Co-sanctioned by World Bowls and the International Indoor Bowls Council (IIBC), the World Bowls Junior Indoor Championship, the Under 25 event has just one more group game round in each three disciplines for players to stamp their authority on qualifying for the knockout rounds following an action-packed six sessions of play.
SINGLES
New Zealand’s Briar Atkinson is the standout performer so far in the tournament with a 100 per cent record in the women’s singles and mixed pairs with Camron Horo.
In the singles, Australia for the men and Hong Kong, China for the women have four out of four wins too, while Wales has the bragging rights as the only country to have its two representatives at the top of their sections.
In the men’s event, wins against Turkiye and the USA for Wales’ Rhys Colwill propelled him to top spot in Group A with three wins out of four under his belt. Second in the section is Angel Gomez from the USA, while third is Hong Kong, China’s Gary Kwan.
Myles Ng, of Macau, leads Group B, with three wins out of four, closely followed by Stephen Lowrie from Scotland and Guernsey’s Bradley Le Noury.
Australia’s Joseph Clarke is the only player to remain unbeaten. He has four wins out of four to his name and maximum 12 points to head Group C. Second place is Erik Galipea, of Canada, and flying the flag for the host nation, Ireland is Adam McKeown.
In the women’s singles, two players have unblemished records – Blair Atkinson from New Zealand in Group A and Hong Kong, China’s Abbie Chan in Group C.
Second and third respectively in Group A and C are Ireland’s Lara Reaney and Canada’s Baylee Van Steijn and Australia’s Erin Swatridge and Nurin Izzati from Malaysia.
Wales is the only country to top both men’s and women’s singles groups with Jasmine Staton in poll position in Group B.
At the conclusion of the group games, the top two countries will qualify for the quarter-finals with one third place finisher going straight into the final eight with the remaining two going into a play-off.
MIXED PAIRS
In the mixed pairs, South Africa, Ireland’s two combinations and the aforementioned Kiwis are yet to lose a game.
Scotland’s Stephen Lowrie and Leah McCloy are the ones to beat in Section One, with Hong Kong, China’s Gary Kwan and Abbie Chan second.
South Africa’s Keegan Bauristhene and Leila Snyman are out in front in Section Two, with England’s Sam Stocker and Millie Tuck second.
Ireland’s Adam McKeown and Lorna McMullan hold prime spot in Section Three with Australia’s Joseph Clarke and Erin Swatridge second and Ireland’s Daniel Spratt and Zoe Stratton and Camron Horo and Briar Atkinson have secured their qualifying places for the quarter-finals with a game in hand in Section Four.
Final group games take place (Wednesday) from 9.30 am GMT followed by the start of the knockouts.
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Caption: USA’s Cathrin Elly Le Messurier and Ireland’s Zoe Stratton
Report compiled by Ceris Hewlings, World Bowls media officer
