Bowls

Glasgow SEC Arena

29th July 2026

I filled in some of the time between the boxing and athletics by dropping into the bowls for an hour or so.

There were four Men's Pairs group section matches in progress, so I did my best to tune out of three of them (Scotland were in none), and to concentrate on the rink closest to me.

Here the Welsh duo of Ross Owen and Daniel Salmon had already built up a healthy-looking 5-2 lead in the first set of their match against a pair of lads from Malta: Troy Lorimer and Shaun Parnis.  Owen and Salmon went on to close this first set out 8-3 and looked, to my untutored eyes, likely to go on and win the match with ease.

But then, the Maltesers somehow managed to sneak a point (or it is a score?) at each of the first three ends of the second set, to lead 3-0.  They held their nerve to eventually take this set 4-2, to set up a single-end tie break.

Which, Wales, even having the final bowl, somehow contrived to lose. 

On the walk between the boxing and bowls arenas, I encountered
 a contingent of brightly-clad Ghanaian athletes.

  

Hall 3 at The SECC

  

Wales' Ross Owen

The Welsh pair of Daniel Salmon and Ross Owen

Troy Lorimer of Malta

The Space Jockey

I noted the match referee/umpire occasionally spraying white chalk onto bowls which had been played. 
Apparently this is to denote bowls which had previously hit the jack and, even though they are in the gutter
(or whatever it is called), they are still active and may count.

There was a collection of Maltese athletes in the crowd, supporting their
team - although a few were on their phones most of the time.

Maltese pair Troy Lorimer and Shaun Parnis

 

The winning moment - I am not quite sure what the Welsh player was trying to do.

    
UPDATE - Both Wales and Malta Men's Doubles teams failed to qualify from the group, the gold medal for the competition being won by