IWBA sanctions could lead to court action

The confrontation between the Ladies Bowling League of Ireland (LBLI) and the Irish Women's Bowling Association (IWBA) is set to escalate following a decision by the LBLI not to acquiesce to the demands imposed by the governing body of women's lawn bowling in the 32 counties.

The LBLI, essentially the association with jurisdiction over the Republic of Ireland, had been asked to retract statements made in a letter sent to the Northern Ireland Sports Council - a copy of which was sent to the IWBA secretary Vera Canning - which criticised the latter association on several issues. The IWBA also demanded a full apology and the name or names of the perpetrator(s) of the document.

But at a special council meeting yesterday, the LBLI agreed only to write to the IWBA to express regret for any inaccuracies in the original document, but they refused to alter the tone or content of their observations.

The IWBA had already informed the LBLI of the penalty of failing to comply with their demands, namely that all LBLI bowlers would be banned from domestic and international competitions for a year. The LBLI president, Anne Newell, and secretary, June Fincher, are to meet IWBA officials in Belfast tomorrow.

If the IWBA carry out their threat to ban and deselect the LBLI bowlers - the IWBA has called a meeting of the national selectors for Sunday to review national trial teams and the composition of the squad for the World Championships - then the dispute is likely to end up in court.

Blackrock's Phillis Nolan has already said she will block any attempt to remove her from the Ireland team due to compete at World Bowls in Australia in March, even if that necessitated a court injunction.

The LBLI is still hopeful that a compromise can be reached without recourse to further action.

Gert-Jan Theunisse has become the fourth former top Dutch cyclist within a week to admit to having taken drugs during his professional career.

Theunisse, who won the King of the Mountains title in the 1989 Tour de France, confessed in the Dutch daily Eindhovens Dagblad to having taken the corticoid celestone, but rejected the allegations made in a Dutch television documentary Reporter that he took testosterone.