Bannister bowled over with award
Bowls TABLE TENNIS: DUO IN EARLY EXIT
Kent County Bowling Association general secretary Mick Bannister has been presented with a surprise award. Bannister was lost for words after receiving a Bowls England certificate of merit at the county’s annual meeting on Saturday. Bowls England junior vice-president Bill Smith travelled from Leicestershire to make the presentation which recognises Bannister for almost 40 years’ service to the sport. He started out with Burroughs Welcome in 1979 where he became secretary and later chairman before the club folded in 2005. Bannister’s service to the KCBA is unmatched, having been divisional secretary from 1982-1987, county secretary from 1987-2010 and general secretary from 2011. He also served as county president in 2011, chairman of the past presidents in 2013 and was KCBA delegate to Bowls England from 2008-2016. Luke Savill and Helshan Weerasinghe were knocked out in the group stages at the Swedish Open. Savill, from Maidstone, enjoyed a 3-1 victory over Sultan Alkhamis (Saudi Arabia) in the under-21 singles. But a 3- 0 defeat by Chi-Chien Lai (Taipei) and a 3-1 loss to David Reitspies (Czech Republic) saw the 17-year-old eliminated. Savill then lost 4-2 to Daniel Gonzalez (Puerto Rico) and 4- 0 to Robin Devos (Belgium) in the senior men’s draw. He partnered Chris Wheeler (Scotland) in the doubles but they were knocked out in the first round. Weerasinghe, from Tonbridge, beat Ingemar Peter (Slovakia) 3-2 in the under-21 singles but lost 3- 0 to Elias Ranefur (Sweden) and went out. The 19-year-old was also in action in the senior men’s singles, losing 4-2 to Alexander Franzen (Sweden) and 4-1 to Benjamin Brossier (France). Yolanda King, a member of the High Weald Academy, was runner-up in the band one singles at the Blackpool Grand Prix. She also made the quarter-finals of the open women’s singles.