 |
The EIBA is pleased to acknowledge the following Official Partners & Suppliers
|
Interview with David Bolt |
"It might be a surprise for some to
see me selected as lead for the men's England team but I am
delighted to have squeezed back in playing in that position," says
David Bolt. "I had a bit of a break but thought let's give it one more try. England have won seven on the bounce and I have been part of a couple of them but thought it would be very tricky to get back in and rightly so. "I am really pleased to be part of such a fantastic team, you do not see a weakness in there at all and I can't wait to be part of it once again." David admits that he needed some time out from the sport after winning a bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and playing in the Atlantic Championships the following year in Wales. "Sometimes the sacrifices we have to make become too much" he said. "Cardiff was not one of my most pleasant experiences due to playing outdoors in May and I got home, having been away for 15 days, losing out on £800 in wages just for a start. 2We make no money playing for our country and it made me sit down and think do I really want to go through another four-year cycle and all that sacrifice again or have some family life. That won. "But after some time away I started playing again and soon it was back to five or six times a week." David has achieved a haul of accolades since he started playing bowls aged ten, when his Dad took him down to their local club. Silksworth BC became his home and he started off playing predominantly English Bowls Federation until he had to make a decision. David said: "I played for the county under 25 team but there were a couple of occasions where EBF clashed with Durham County and I chose EBF which did not go down well. "When I was 11 or 12 I won the South Tyneside Festival junior singles tournament which caused a few shock waves but it was my first taste of success and felt great. "I got £25 for winning it- in 1988 that was like a fortune for a schoolkid and it gave me the impetus to want to carry on." David got an English Bowls Association under 25 trial at the age of 16 and lists his three career highlights as winning the National Men's Singles outdoors at Worthing, being crowned Hong Kong International Singles Champion and being selected for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. "Winning a bronze medal with the boys in Australia was something I won't forget," David said. "But I would swap everything I have won in bowls tomorrow for the friends I have made, I have been so lucky that all of my best friends are bowls associated and it is nice to be able to travel across the world and meet up with friends and acquaintances that you have met over the years. "Now I have got to the point where I understand that I am not going to make a living out of this sport so I am trying to get a happy balance between living and playing. "That had taken a lot of pressure off in terms of achievements, I still want to win as much as anybody but it is not life or death- whatever I do achieve, whatever else comes will be a bonus." Over the next few weeks David's focus will turn to preparing for Potters. "I have been really lucky to have played there five or six times in the singles," he said. "My best performance was around 2009 when I made the quarter-final, losing to Paul foster in a tie-break. "I was quite young at the time, 28, and that was the time where the top 24 who qualified automatically and I had made it to 22. I got an automatic entry the year after but lost in the first round. "That was the time when I gave up the sport for a year or two which is frustrating looking back because maybe I would have been able to get a bit closer to the top 16 berth, but that is life. "I am really looking forward to Potters this year, it is great to get down with Paul Hartley in the pairs and in the singles I have a first round tie against Stewart Anderson who I played in Scotland so I will just be trying my best. "I was really happy with how things went last year, getting past Rob Paxton was a great win in the first round but I came unstuck against Mike Stepney who played really well. "I am just trying to put enough practice in to keep my level up there. "The big drive for me is trying to match or better the best bowlers in the country or the world, that's a nice focus to have to try to get yourself up to that standard. There are people who I rate massively so it is nice to be able to still get the better of them at times." Even off the green bowls is never far from David's mind. He is Club Development Team Leader for the Bowls Development Alliance and co-hosts the Wrong Bias podcast which was set up by Richie Mckie. David said: "Richie approached me, I don't think I even knew what a podcast was at the time. He has been a big part of promoting bowls for many years, through Sunderland IBC and as County Administrator. He also writes quite a large piece for Sunderland Echo most weeks. "We wanted to do something where it was like two lads sitting in a bar having a chat. It has gone better than expected. We said from day one, if you do not want to listen then switch off, we won't be upset or angry, we are going to do it regardless and if you enjoy it then great." The podcast has grown over the last few years and 44 shows have been recorded. The good friends have also branched out to the streaming side of events. David said: "This is also all down to Ritchie, the work that he is doing in the sport is outstanding. "We just hope that we hope our core following and that more and more people will be introduced to it. "We just try to put our knowledge of the sport in and have a little bit of a laugh at the same time. It makes me chuckle when I listen back because it is not scripted and it is not especially politically correct. "We have a following around the world and we thank everybody who follows us." David says that he is seeing "glimmers of light" within the game, particularly indoors. He added: "In the current climate we are lucky to have a lot of really good indoor stadiums whether they are council or private. "The majority of them are warm spaces, they are a social outlet, somewhere for you to go and sit in the warm, not using your own heating and meet people. If there is some bowls involved too, even better. "Clubs seem to be getting more social bowls which is really good as this is what ensures clubs survive. "I am seeing new people coming in to the sport - parents and families so fingers crossed it continues to go from strength to strength. "We have to keep selling all the benefits because there are plenty. The hardest thing to do is get people from the sidelines on the pavement on to the carpet or on to the grass and playing. "Once you do it is one of those sports that hooks you, I have always loved it and I have just gone in to my 34th year." Sian Honnor Previous ArticleYaz Hasan Previous Article Nick Brett Previous Article Andy Knapper Previous Article Jacqueline Henderson Previous Article Daniel Adams Previous Article Kirsty Richards |
December 2022
 |
Archives |
Accessibility |
Downloads |
Guidance Notes |
Links |
Photos |
Contact Us |
Privacy Notice
 |