THE sleepy world of lawn bowls has been thrown into controversy with the announcement of the seven-strong men's team for this summer's Commonwealth Games in Victoria, British Columbia, in August.
The main talking point has been the selection of Ken Wallis to represent Hong Kong in the men's singles - undoubtedly the glamour event of the bowls competition - ahead of Mark McMahon, who won the silver medal in the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand.
McMahon has been selected for the pairs event, teaming up with his father, Bill, while two other candidates for the singles spot - Noel Kennedy and George Souza - are in the fours with Danny Ho and Mel Stewart.
McMahon, in between winning his way through to the semi-finals of the World Indoor Bowls Championship in Preston, England, said Hong Kong had become the laughing stock of the international bowls circuit and that the decision to select Wallis was ''a farce'' and ''a joke''.
Wallis, a 51-year-old policeman from Buckinghamshire, was selected largely on the strength of his success in last year's national singles championship.
When the five selectors met to put forward their nominations, Wallis gained three votes and Souza, Mark McMahon and Kennedy received one each, with one selector putting forward two candidates.
Whatever the reasons behind the selection, Wallis has found himself in the middle of the storm and admitted to being both surprised and delighted when he got the nod.
