World Bowls Championship beckons for Garioch duo
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Carla and Jason Banks will be heading off to World Bowls Championship, leaving next Monday for Australia to get over jet lag and get some practice prior to the event on the Gold Coast which runs from Tuesday, August 29 to Sunday, September 10.
They have now reached what every bowler wants to achieve in their sport, a place in the five member Scottish team at the World Championship writes Mike Barron.
The players, Ladies and Gents, both play in Singles or Fours followed by either the Pairs or Triples.
This is the first time a brother and sister have been selected in the pool of five for the World Championships.
To view the Championship father Colin, and mother Angela are taking special leave to see the family play in Queensland.
Jason has an outstanding career so far, being runner up in the World Indoor Championship in 2023.
He has already won gold in the Fours and Bronze in the Pairs at last year’s Bowls Europe Championship.
Jason has been recognised at 27 as one of the outstanding young bowls players, and one who could have a great and long future.
He will be playing with Iain McLean in the Pairs.
Iain will also feature in the Singles. McLean won a Bronze medal at Birmingham in 2022 and is a double Scottish Singles champion.
Jason will also be lead in the Fours with Derek Oliver, Paul Foster MBE and Alex Marshall MBE. The latter will again be hoping to add to his
record seven World Bowls Championship Gold Medals.
Derek Oliver has already silverware on the Gold Coast five years on from his sensational double gold medal heroics. Paul Foster has been a
constant international player now near the very top of the Tour rankings ever since making a surprise breakthrough by winning the 1998 World
Singles title as an unseeded outsider.
Carla will be playing in the Triples and Fours as lead.
She has as her skip Caroline Brown in both events. Caroline is the former World Bowls Championship gold medalist and she was victorious
in the Fours at the event in Adelaide, Australia in 2012.
Claire Anderson joins Carla in the Fours. Both Carla and Claire have experience of competing in the Southern Hemisphere.
Some eight years ago Carla competed in the Youth Commonwealth Games and she is just 24.
She also competed in the Ultimate Games at Maoma, in Australia, as recent as last December. Claire took the Silver medal in Mixed Pairs at the Under 25 World Championship.
The Singles will have new girl, Emma McIntyre, who took the Silver medal at Bowls Europe Championship.
A major problem for Carla, as well as Jason, is trying to balance bowls and work commitments because well over 50 days are needed to participate in top key international events. Getting leave for bowls, and trying to progress in their careers is a choice they must make soon.
At the moment their only thoughts are winning bowls gold medals in Australia!
