The Short Mat Bowls World Championships will be held in Aberdeen later this week, and those competing believe it’s a chance to grow the sport locally.
From Friday to Sunday, nearly 200 bowlers from 13 countries – including 20 from Scotland – will descend upon the Granite City to compete in the major event at the Aberdeen Indoor Bowling Club.
Short mat is a variation of bowls played on a rolled out mat that measures six-feet in width and between 40-45 feet in length.
The World Championships will be the third event held in Aberdeen, following the British Isles Championships in 2015 and 2019.
‘Our chance to really showcase short mat bowls’
Allan Masson, who is one of eight Aberdonians that will be representing Scotland, believes short mat bowls is more fast-paced than the lawn or long mat indoor game most people would be familiar with.
He is also a member of the Scottish Short Mat Bowling Federation, and hopes hosting the event in Aberdeen will help to grow the sport locally amongst all age groups.
“We’re really excited to be having it in Aberdeen,” Masson said. “It’s our chance to really showcase the sport, there is a big bowling community here and in the north-east.
“I think most of the villages in the local area would have a bowling green. The sport has taken a bit of a hit since Covid, so we would really like to get more people coming along to try it out.
“There’s a perception that the sport is for older people, but I’m 37 and I’ve played the sport with my brother since I was around 10 years old.
“Half of the Scotland team are under 40. It’s a great sport to play for all ages, and if the perception isn’t changed then the sport will die off – we can’t wait for people to be 50 before they start playing.
“The short mat – because they don’t have to throw the ball as far and there is equipment like smaller balls for younger players – is a good way for people to get into the sport.”
Growing the game in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
Masson says he has seen some progress within the Scottish game, but believes events like the World Championships in Aberdeen can help give the sport an even bigger boost.
“In the last 10 years, the short mat game has come on leaps and bounds,” Masson said. “We’re really starting to compete at British Isles level.
“For a while we were just there making up the numbers, but we recently won one of the disciplines at the British Isles event and took home a gold medal, so we’re catching up to the levels of the English, Irish and Welsh.
“We’re trying to push the Championships in Aberdeen to try and increase the numbers in the area so there can be more players available to be selected for Scotland.
“The numbers to pick from in Scotland compared to other countries is really small, but the potential is there and we want to tap into that locally.”
Representing Aberdeen on the World stage
For Masson, who started playing bowls as a young boy with his brother Murray, he says it feels like a full-circle moment for the duo be competing on his sport’s biggest stage together.
“I’m from just outside Westhill and my grandparents got me and brother in the sport,” Mason said. “It’s become a big part of our lives ever since.
“We’ve grown and developed and played different variations of short mat bowls, and then came upon this about six or seven years ago and it’s given us the chance to represent Scotland.
“Now we’ve got the opportunity to play for Scotland at a world event in our home city, it’s really exciting and hopefully we’ll get the chance to go compete abroad some time in the future.”
If you are interested in trying short mat bowls, get in touch with the Scottish Short Mat Bowl Facebook page.
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