About that Thai affair

BEN CURRAN

CLASS ACT: Stoke and New Zealand Bowls star Shannon McIlroy in action on the Blenheim Bowling Club greens last weekend.

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Rising New Zealand bowls star Shannon McIlroy is moving on with life and bowls after the controversy surrounding the Asia Pacific tournament in Kuala Lumpur last August.

McIlroy was part of the New Zealand men's four of Shayne Sincock, now with the Havelock club in Marlborough, Jamie Hill and skip Gary Lawson, who were found guilty of throwing an end in a match against Thailand, a match New Zealand ultimately lost thanks to a fluke bowl by Thailand when New Zealand were holding the shots and match on the final end.

The loss effectively knocked Canada out of contention and they complained, even though they, too, lost to Thailand.

The four were found guilty by a Bowls New Zealand judicial committee, which said it was a deliberate breach of the rules and a lack of sportsmanship. It damaged the standing of New Zealand bowls and resulted in unfairness to another team in international competition, according to the official Bowls New Zealand media release on the matter last month.

Lawson denied any wrongdoing, but copped the biggest penalty. The world champion was suspended from all international and Bowls New Zealand events for six months and fined $5000. He has appealed against that decision. McIlroy, Hill and Sincock escaped suspension, but were each fined $1000.

McIlroy, at the Blenheim Bowling Club last week playing for Stoke in the zone interclub finals, took time out to speak on the matter.

He is annoyed it ever got to this stage.

"It was blown out of all proportion. It's a situation that could have been dealt with overseas while we were there and it would never have come to this."

While a $1000 fine may not seem much for an international sportsman to pay, for McIlroy it is significant, even more so for the other payments he has missed out on since the inquiry started.

"The worst thing that happened is that I have to pay $1000. It's good that a decision has come out, but I don't think it's fair we have to pay $1000. We missed out on player levy cuts, trips overseas. It's cost me more than $3500 going through the hearing, etc, plus the fine. Being a young fellow, I don't have that sort of money just to roll up and pay."

He feels sorry for Lawson, who copped the brunt of the penalty, and said all they were concentrating on at the Asia Pacific tournament was making the final and winning a gold medal.

"Bowls New Zealand emphasises the importance of winning medals. Winning medals obviously affects our funding, so the more medals, the more money we get. If you have got the advantage of going into the last round [of a tournament] to put yourself in a position to get a favoured draw in the best interests of your country to get a gold medal, then what's wrong with that?

"At the same event there were a lot of other countries doing it, but no-one complained about the others. We thought we were pretty hard done by."

McIlroy said this sort of thing happened in many sports around the world, with people manoeuvring themselves into favoured positions to achieve their goal of winning. "It happens in soccer, rugby, Usain Bolt – if he runs second in his heat, does he bring the sport of athletics into disrepute? He's saving himself for the final and it was exactly the same situation [with us]. There was no TAB betting on our match [against Thailand]."

McIlroy is relieved he is not suspended and is focused on making the Commonwealth Games team for New Delhi later this year.

"For me personally, it was about the Commonwealth Games, whether I was going to make it or not. Having a suspension would have ended that.

"I just want to keep playing well. If you keep worrying about other things, you play poorly, so I just pushed it aside and worried about it when I had to."

Fortunately for Bowls New Zealand, McIlroy, Hill and Sincock will be available for Commonwealth Games selection.

Sadly, the country's best player, Lawson, won't be.

- The Marlborough Express