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Maldwyn Evans

Mal Evans
Personal information
NationalityBritish (Welsh)
Born(1937-11-08)8 November 1937
Gelli, Rhondda
Died30 December 2009(2009-12-30) (aged 72)
Ton Pentre, Rhondda
Sport
SportLawn bowls
ClubGelli Park BC

Maldwyn Lewis Evans (8 November 1937 – 30 December 2009), often known as "Mal" Evans, was a Welsh bowls champion, who won the World Championship in 1972.[1] He is the only Welshman ever to have held the men's world singles title.[2][3]

Personal life

Evans was part of a famous bowls family. He was born in Gelli, Rhondda. His father, Clifford Maldwyn Evans (1904-1985) and uncle John Morgan Evans (1917-1985), a world-class player, won the Welsh Pairs Championship in 1952.[1]

Maldwyn Evans was educated at Pentre Secondary School and later obtained a degree in history from University College of North Wales Bangor. He worked as a teacher in Swansea, Porth, Tonypandy[4] and Ferndale.

Bowls career

Evans played bowls for Wales from 1967 until 1985, and he was a member of the Gelli Park club.[5]

Two years after his World Championship win he represented Wales at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in the singles.[6][7]

He won two Welsh National Bowls Championships Pairs titles in 1966 and 1967, with his brother Gwyn Evans (the 1978 Commonwealth Games fours bronze medal winner).[8] In addition he won the Gibson-Watt Welsh Open Singles at Llandrindod Wells three times (1964, 1966 and 1967).

Death

He died in his home at Ton Pentre, Rhondda, aged 72, and was cremated at Pontypridd.

References

  1. ^ a b Richard E. Huws. "Evans, Maldwyn Lewis ('Mal') (1937-2009), champion bowler". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  2. ^ Wales Online: "Bowls: World champ Maldwyn Evans dies", 7 January 2010. Accessed 19 December 2012
  3. ^ "Profile". Bowls Tawa.
  4. ^ Wales Online: "People and places that helped shape the Tonypandy we know today", 11 Jan 2007. Accessed 19 December 2012 Archived 14 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Ystradfechan Bowls Club: A potted history of Rhondda bowls & Rhondda bowling greens both past & present Archived 2013-07-09 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Newby, Donald (1987). Daily Telegraph Bowls Yearbook 88. Telegraph Publications. ISBN 0-86367-220-5.
  7. ^ "Athletes and Results". Commonwealth Games Federation.
  8. ^ Hawkes/Lindley, Ken/Gerard (1974). the Encyclopaedia of Bowls. Robert Hale and Company. ISBN 0-7091-3658-7.