Four young bowlers banned from representing Wales for three years

Current fours champions Liam Bouse and Tom Jones, recent champion of champions winner Daniel Salmon and Shane Hill were handed the ban today after breaking the Welsh Indoor Bowling Association’s code of conduct when the series was staged in Bristol.
The players now have seven days to lodge appeals against the decision. One is already understood to have submitted his.
If the ban is not overturned, repercussions mean Bouse and Jones, of Islwyn IBC, will not be representing Wales in the British Isles championships in Llanelli next month, while Salmon, of Cardiff IBC, one of the six skips for the senior international series, will not be playing for the team, nor will he be travelling to Jersey for the senior WIBC championships in April which he had qualified for after winning the champion of champions event.
The ban follows an incident believed to relate to the breaking a curfew imposed by the team manager, Nigel Williams, last Saturday, following Wales’ opening two games against England and Scotland.
The four did not play in the wooden spoon encounter against Ireland the following morning when Wales were forced to play two triples and two fours, a move sanctioned by the BIIBC who are understood to have ruled that whatever the result, Ireland would be awarded the two points thus leaving Wales bottom of the table.
A statement issued by the WIBA following the disciplinary sub committee hearing confirmed the four were banned from ‘representing Wales at all level of competition for a period of three years, 18 months with immediate effect and 18 months suspended.’
It is thought that after Wales lost to Scotland and Ireland on Saturday, the four ignored instruction from team officials, and spent the evening in Bristol city centre, and did not return to the hotel until after the 10.30pm deadline.
BIIBC secretary David Phillips said last weekend: “The BIIBC understands that an incident involving Welsh players led to the Wales team management informing me that Wales could field only 14 players against Ireland.
“A meeting of the BIIBC officers from the other three countries decided that Wales could field a team consisting of two fours and two triples – but that, whatever the outcome, Ireland would be deemed to be the winners, and would take two points.”

Article Source: www.bowlsinternational.com