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Maldwyn Evans

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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
Medal record
Representing  Wales
World Outdoor Championships
Gold medal – first place 1972 Worthing Men's singles

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

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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

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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

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

References

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  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.