BOWLS Scots champ devastated by pre-games bowls theft

ONE OF Scotland’s leading bowlers claims his Glasgow 2014 hopes have been left in tatters after thieves stole his competition bowls.

Four-times world indoor singles champion Paul Foster says the theft from the locker room at his local outdoor club Troon Portland on Monday has left him devastated.

The 41-year-old had been playing and practising with the set exclusively since the spring but now he has just two weeks to familiarise himself with replacements before the games action gets under way at Kelvingrove on August 24.

The culprits made off with three out of the four bowls Foster planned to use for the competition but he said: “Taking three bowls is no use to them and having one is obviously no use to me.”

No two sets of bowls are identical and he had amassed countless hours of play and practice time with the missing bowls in preparation for the home games.

He said: “These bowls were specially shipped over in April for me to use at the Commonwealth Games and I’ve been practising with them for the last three months, day-in, day-out.

“I’m now trying to get another set of the same make and model but, even if I do, I know that you won’t ever get two sets of bowls that are 100% the same.

“This is obviously devastating to me but, with the Commonwealth Games starting in a fortnight’s time, I need to try and get over it in the next few days and get focused again.”