The Isle of Man’s Mark McGreal and Caroline Whitehead achieved landmark performances at the 2025 World Bowls Indoor Championships in Aberdeen, Scotland recently.
The duo produced the most successful campaign by Manx bowlers to date at the prestigious global tournament, with both advancing beyond the group stages to reach the knockout rounds.
The championships, a World Bowls Series platinum event, is a highlight on the international bowls calendar and featured elite players from across the globe.
Formed through the merger of the World Cup Singles and the IIBC Championships, it now serves as the ultimate indoor bowls competition, attracting the best players from around the world.
McGreal and Whitehead not only held their own against some of the sport’s biggest names, but exceeded expectations.
In the men’s singles, McGreal battled through arguably the toughest of the four pools, qualifying for the knockout rounds by finishing second in the group following some commanding performances both skilfully and tactically, achieving a top-eight position in the process.
He was narrowly eliminated on a tie break by England’s Dominic McVittie, the eventual runner-up in the singles and world champion in the pairs. McVittie will likely enter the top 10 of the world rankings following the event.
In the women’s singles, Whitehead showed grit and determination to qualify among the top 12, overcoming some of the world’s highest-ranked players - including a crucial win over rising Irish star Zoe Minish.
Whitehead’s only defeats came at the hands of the eventual bronze, silver and gold medallists, a remarkable achievement given her original goal was to claim her first international singles victory.
The pair also competed in the mixed pairs event where, despite strong performances, they narrowly missed out because of a string of close tie-break losses to top-tier opponents.
Manx bowlers have long punched above their weight in domestic competitions and have slowly made headway on the international scene, but were yet to make such a profound impact in an event of this magnitude.
Their success is sure to raise the profile of lawn and indoor bowls in the island and hopefully will inspire a new generation of players, which is vital for the continued growth of the sport locally.
It’s also hoped their efforts will be recognised when it comes to athlete selection for next year’s Commonwealth Games.
MARILYN ELLISON
For more information about indoor bowls, visit the Isle of Man Indoor Bowls Association website at https://iomindoorbowling.org/