National champion faces a year ban

DAN DE LA MARE'S dream of a place at next year's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne hangs in the balance. De la Mare, who this summer won the British Isles Pairs championship in tandem with Matt Le Ber, faces a possible one-year ban from all representative bowls.

A recommendation that de la Mare, 19, be banned was part of the team manager's report following this month's Le Quesne Trophy inter-insular defeat by Jersey.

De la Mare, it is understood, was left out of the men's team having failed to show for a practice match against the island women and, most surprisingly, for the island pairs championship final.

In his role as team manager of the Le Quesne team, Bowls Guernsey chief executive Garry Collins was the man who made the recommendation that de la Mare be sidelined for 12 months and, with that, see his chances of a Games place disappear.

But Collins was saying little yesterday, refusing to elaborate on the stories circulating local bowls.

However, it is known that the Bowls Council met on Monday evening and as a result one player faces disciplinary action and another has been warned about his or her future conduct.

De la Mare himself was keeping a low profile, saying: 'I haven't heard anything.

'There's nothing I can say or add.

'I think it's been a big misunderstanding to be honest.'

What is known is that de la Mare failed to show up for the island pairs final and as a result has no chance of defending his British title next summer.

Only national champions are represented at the British Championships and having conceded the local final without delivering a bowl, de la Mare and Le Ber will not be defending their trophy.

Ironically, Le Ber, who is a vice-president of Bowls Guernsey, is entitled to sit on the committee which is thought to have heard the de la Mare case.