Daniel Sinclair is a 24-year-old Dunedin factory worker who stands about 195cm. So, what sport does he play? Indoor bowls, of course. Sports editor Hayden Meikle talks to the South Island representative.
Daniel Sinclair: Oh, just 'cause it's different. It's quite a challenging sport. It takes a lot of concentration. If you're not really focused, you get [beaten] by the old guys.
HM: What do your mates say when you turn down a night out because you have to get ready for an indoor bowls tournament?
DS: They give me a hard time. But they realise I'm actually quite dedicated to it. I've given up rugby and everything.
HM: How often do you play each week?
DS: We have club nights on Tuesday nights. And different interclub events. Sometimes there are Thursday events. I've been playing for Otago for seven or eight years and you get to play against South Otago or Southland. We just recently went to Canterbury and beat them for the first time up there. Nice little bit of history there.
HM: And you've just been picked for the South Island team?
DS: Yeah. The North Island do a tour down here and we'll play them in a test in Timaru in August.
HM: Is there a New Zealand indoor bowls team, and does it have a silly nickname?
DS: Ah, yeah. The Mat Blacks.
HM: The Mat Blacks!
DS: Yep. They just played Australia and I think they won by a record score.
HM: Is your height an advantage or a disadvantage?
DS: I can gain more power sometimes. But not really.
HM: I presume the social side of the game is important.
DS: They do enjoy having a beer afterwards, yes.
HM: Any streakers in indoor bowls?
DS: No, no streakers. Thank god.
HM: Any sledging
DS: There can be some heated old people who get quite pissed off sometimes. They think we're young and we don't know what we're doing. But I've been playing since I was 11. I know what I'm doing. A guy tried to hit me up on a rule last week. I told him to go check the rule book. I knew I was right. And he came back and said he was sorry.
HM: Is there a bit of snobbery? Do outdoor bowls people look down their noses at indoor bowls?
DS: Yeah, I reckon they do. I've heard a bit of stuff like, ''Oh, mate, you're playing with marbles.'' But I reckon outdoor bowls is about inches and feet, and indoor bowls comes down to millimetres. It takes fine judgement.
HM: Who is the Richie McCaw of indoor bowls?
DS: Grant l'Ami. He used to be down here. He's the man. He's the captain of New Zealand and he's won a national title in every form of the game.
HM: If he's Richie McCaw, what does that make you?
DS: Oh, maybe Liam Coltman. A young guy trying to get into the big time.
- Can you suggest a worthy candidate for The Chat, an occasional series looking at some of the lesser known sports stars in Otago? Email the sports editor (hayden.meikle@odt.co.nz) with your ideas.
