Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Bowls NZ chair: ruling shows throwing a match won't be tolerated

Updated at 5:14 pm on 12 January 2010

The chairman of Bowls New Zealand says throwing a game goes to the very heart of sport and hopes the ruling against the Gary Lawson skipped four, makes it clear that such conduct won't be tolerated.

A judicial committee has ruled Lawson and three other bowlers, Jamie Hill, Shane Sincock and Shanon McIlroy, who were members of a New Zealand four competing at the Asia Pacific champs in Kuala Lumpur last year, deliberately lost a match at the tournament.

The chairman of Bowls New Zealand, John Carter, says much of the players' evidence at the hearing conflicted with that of the Bowls NZ officials and other witnesses.

He says the behaviour of the four, was a terrible example to other players and Bowls New Zealand will be making submissions to the Judicial Committee on the penalties to be imposed on the players.

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