Bowls: Solomon thrown out for 2 years

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Two-time national fours champion Mike Solomon has incurred a $500 fine and two-year suspension after being found guilty of deliberately losing a singles game at the national championship.

The penalty was handed down by Bowls New Zealand's judicial committee after a hearing into the incident.

They considered written statements from the match marker, duty umpire, tournament director and Solomon as well as taking into account a newspaper article.

The incident happened in the last of Solomon's four qualifying matches on the opening day of singles qualifying at the championships in late December.

Solomon, who had already qualified for post-section play, lost 21-0 to clubmate Salve Federico.

The game lasted the minimum six ends.

Federico needed the victory to stay in the championship.

In a statement, Bowls New Zealand said: "The judicial committee did not accept Solomon's denial of misconduct or that the newspaper misreported the incident.

"Solomon claimed to have lost concentration and said he was outplayed.

"But statements made to the press, the observations of those involved and an apology he made to the umpire for his conduct were seen as clear evidence to the contrary."

Further, Bowls New Zealand said a statement to a reporter that other games "were thrown" was not seen as a defence especially at an event of this standing.

Under the association's constitution, there is a clause which clearly defines such breaches by saying it is regarded as misconduct if any bowler "deliberately loses or attempts to lose a game".

Solomon played in the Gary Lawson-skipped fours which won the championship in 1996 and 1997. Those teams included now national selection panel convenor/manager Peter Shaw.

His punishment means he will not be allowed to play at the next two national championships or the final stages of any national interclub or intercentre events.

He has the right of appeal but it appears that could only be made to Bowls New Zealand as the sport's highest authority.

* Veteran bowls administrator and world champion Ron Buchan has died in Hamilton, aged 95.

In his 77 years in the sport, Buchan won consecutive national singles titles in 1964-65 and skipped the winning four in 1957.

He was a member of the first New Zealand team to win a World Bowls title as a member of the victorious four in Sydney in 1966. He was the last surviving member of that four.

Awarded life membership of the national body and an MBE for his services to the sport, Buchan, a retired school teacher, was also an expert on the laws of the game.

For years, in a bowls magazine column, he answered many and varied questions on his favourite sportCurly Conundrums" .