Willgress hopes accident will not hamper title bid

Wayne Willgress must overcome the after-effects of injury as well as five opponents if he is to achieve his dream of becoming World Indoor Bowls champion.

The 37-year-old from Norfolk faces Martin Puckett in the first round on Thursday morning at Potters Resorts at Hopton-on-Sea.

A self-employed painter, Willgress fractured his left shoulder and his right hand, the one he uses when bowling, after a ladder slipped while he was on it at work.

"My shoulder doesn't affect anything, but the right hand is a little bit sensitive," Willgress told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"A good, firm handshake does hurt and it does ache from time to time because as a painter and decorator, I'm using it so it doesn't get any rest - but hopefully, it won't hold me back.

"I've still played as much as I normally would, I just have to take it easier with certain things at work, any vibration, sanding work, I just can't do it, it hurts too much, so I just have to pick my jobs to do."

Willgress - the 11th seed - has won national titles in triples, pairs and mixed pairs, but winning a first singles world title in front of TV cameras in his home county would undoubtedly top the lot.

"It's my home tournament, I always know a lot of the support, generally they're on my side, you want that added extra in any sport - and if you can get an advantage out of anything, you want to try and take it," he added.

"I look forward to it every year. I'm dropping down the rankings so I desperately need some points and I'll be trying my hardest. It's never easy here."

Willgress and partner Les Gillett were knocked out of the men's pairs on Saturday and he is expecting another tough battle against Puckett.

"Martin is one of the best singles players in the country and I know if I don't perform, I lose," he added. "But if I can play my best I've got a chance.

"I did play him in a tournament over Christmas and beat him, so hopefully it's not a game too soon and I can do it again."

Willgress is not the only Norfolk player aiming to make an impact, with 16th seed Aaron Johnson relishing the prospect of his World Indoor singles debut.

"It's a bit weird - I effectively qualified a year ago but had sit there and wait and see if results would go my way at Potters last year," he said. "It went all the way to a quarter-final and I sneaked in as 16th so I've known for a year now.

"I think I'm the only person to qualify as a top 16 player through the seedings who's never played there before so it's quite strange."

Fortunately for Johnson, as he prepares for his opening singles game against Mikey Titcombe on 19 January, he does have experience of the venue from playing doubles there in the past.

"The singles is a different animal but at least I know what it likes with the cameras, the procedures and everything, and having the crowd in," he added.

Jason Banks won the men's singles last year, beating Robert Paxton in the final, and Julie Forrest made it a Scotland 1-2 by taking the women's title.

This year's championships runs until 25 January and tournament director Gordon Woods says the sport has been hugely buoyed by a £1m investment announced in 2025, which will be spread over five years.