Aussies pull out of u25 world event

This month's world under-25 singles championships at the Grainville stadium in Jersey have been hit by the withdrawal of the Australian competitors. There is still a strong field, however, which includes Commonwealth Games and world championships medallists.

Guernsey's golden hopes will be carried by teenagers Daniel de la Mare and Lianne Bichard, while the hosts will be represented by Lindsey Greechan, who is hoping to regain the women's title she lost last year, John Lowery and Jamie Macdonald.

Brian Davies, the secretary of the World Indoor Bowls Council which is staging the event, said: 'We are disappointed that Bowls Australia, who had already sent us details of their competitors, feel they have to withdraw - but it will still be a fantastic event.'

The Australians' retreat is the result of a boxing-style political row between the two governing bodies which run bowls at world level: the WIBC, whose remit is the indoor game, and World Bowls Limited, who say they are responsible for bowls outdoors and in.

When the WIBC declined to 'come on board' to form a unified body a few years ago, WB made sure it wrote the indoor game into its constitution, but it wasn't until July this year that it threw down the gauntlet by announcing a world indoor championship of its own.

It was the decision of Bowls Australia to send players to the WB event, which will be held in Hong Kong in April, 2005, rather than to the WIBC event in Jersey, which starts on Wednesday, 27 October.

'Bowls Australia recognises WB as the international governing body of the sport, and we do not have the financial resources to attend both the WIBC and WB events in the same financial period,' a BA spokesperson said.

De la Mare has been drawn in the same group as reigning champion Simon Jones, Canada's World Bowls gold medallist Ryan Bester and Lowery, from Jersey, along with competitors from Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man.

Meanwhile, Bichard comes up against England's World Bowls gold medallist Amy Monkhouse, Scotland's Lynsey Nisbet, a regular qualifier for this event, Welsh star Hannah Evans, and players from Ireland, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

With the top two in each group qualifying for the semi-finals, competition is bound to be fierce - but the Guernsey duo have proved they can hold their own at top level and should stand a good chance of making progress.

In the brand-new mixed pairs event, Bichard has been drawn to play with New Zealand's Jamie Hill, while de la Mare teams up with Canada's Melissa Ranger, who won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester.