Welsh Association of Visually Impaired Bowlers

 

Have you stopped playing bowls due to deteriorating vision or have never considered playing it due to sight loss? Now is the time to give it a try!

Bowls is both social and competitive. Not only can you learn or improve a new skill, you will make great friends as well as play in competitions. Bowls is a commonwealth games sport and there are opportunities to represent Wales at many different levels.

Come on give it a try, you never know you could be visiting the Gold Coast in 2018!

About WAVIB.

The Welsh Association of Visually Impaired Bowlers was formed in 1982. It was initially financed by a generous contribution made by Barry Athletic Bowls Club. All players were offered a £50 contribution to help finance the trip to the UK singles. However all the players decided to decline this offer and instead donated the money to a central pot and this formed the funding for the new organisation now known as WAVIB (Welsh Association of Visually Impaired Bowlers))

We receive a level of financial support from Disability Sport Wales so that we are able to do everything that we possibly can to make the sport of Lawn Bowls inclusive and accessible throughout all areas of Wales.

The first Chairman of WAVIB was Mr Neville Mctavish of West Glamorgan Blind bowls club. The Association was formed with a view to giving the opportunity for Welsh Vision impaired bowlers to participate in the UK national championships competing with great success against the home nations along with England, Northern Ireland & Scotland.

Our association is progressively moving forward, this is reflected in the level of success achieved at the UK VI singles championship held at Kelvingrove Glasgow. Wales came away with the best medal haul and points tally for over 30 years. A number of new Welsh caps made their debut at this championship, they acquitted themselves really well, it all augers well for the future with the performances they gave.

Wales has had its share of successes over the years with representatives playing in National, International, World, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games Championships. Players have included the late Gloria Hopkins of Llanelli at the Commonwealth games held in Manchester. Rosa Crean of Cardiff won the Gold medal at the Atlanta Paralympics. Mary Elias Gold medal in Canada at the World Championships.

Swansea VI Club provided a total of four players/coaches for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Rosa Crean (Swansea), Gilbert Miles (Swansea), John Glover, Coach, (Swansea), Ron Whitehead, Coach (Newport) and John Wilson, Team Manager (Swansea).

Swansea continues to strengthen providing four more athletes for Commonwealth Games 2018 on the Gold Coast, Australia who achieved a Bronze Medal.

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