Merthyr bowls club hosts indoor world championship

It has survived the threat of closure and even a fire - but now a small Welsh bowls club is to host the best players in the world.

Four years ago, Merthyr Tydfil Indoor Bowls Club had a battle to survive amid council cut-backs and a blaze.

However volunteers helped breath new life into the 44-year-old club.

This week it hosts players from the Netherlands to Israel for the International Indoor Bowls World Championship.

The club, established in 1975, faced an uncertain future when Merthyr council announced it needed to off-load the running of the club as part of cuts.

A fire behind the bar then raised the prospect of the centre closing its doors for good.

However its members were determined to keep the club going.

With the help of volunteers and a £50,000 grant from an economic development programme they not only secured a new lease - and with it a lease of life - but brought the club up to international standard.

"If you asked me four years ago, when we took over running the club, would we be holding a world championship, I'd say no way. No way!" said 87-year-old chairman Dennis Owen.

"We've held Welsh competitions but to go to the next step and hold world competitions was unthinkable... but we're very happy we are."

As well as improvements to the lighting and playing surface, membership has risen to close to 300.

Among those members are a new generation, who believe bowls is a fully inclusive sport.

Amy Williams, 25, took up bowls when she was 11 years old, and is representing Wales in the tournament.

"It's a great equal sport. In bowls you can have a man playing a woman at the same time and it's a total level playing field," she said.

"It is four bowls each and it doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman - anyone can beat anyone.

"Also, the older generation used to be a lot more dominant but now it's youngsters coming through and winning the trophies. Which is nice for us."

The tournament runs this week from Tuesday to Friday.

Three-time world champion Stewart Anderson, of Scotland, and Guernsey's six-time British champion Alison Merrien are among those battling for the title in south Wales.