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Sport

Commonwealth Games 2022: Semi-final defeat for Dartford para bowler Michelle White as England lose to Scotland

By: KentOnline reporter multimediadesk@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 13:30, 01 August 2022

Updated: 16:47, 01 August 2022

Dartford bowler Michelle White has a bronze-medal match to focus on after losing out in the Commonwealth Games' para pairs semi-finals.

White and partner Gill Platt were hoping to guarantee themselves a medal with victory at Victoria Park but never got going until it was too late against Rosemary Lenton and Pauline Wilson.

Dartford's Michelle White in para pairs action. Picture: Team England

The Scottish duo stretched into an early 11-3 lead and fended off a late comeback from the hosts to leave White battling for bronze against South Africa on Wednesday.

But White took heart from the way the pair fought back in Leamington Spa despite a difficult start.

"We pulled it back to two shots when we were eight behind – that in itself is something to be proud of," said White.

mpu1

"We've given it everything we can, we can still win a medal and that's our focus now.

"It's difficult for us in the morning, half eight, you've got to be here for seven, it took me a while to warm up but when we got into it, we fought right back at them."

White and Platt had beaten their semi-final opponents 19-7 in the finals but were unable to repeat the feat when it mattered most.

However, the duo were still positive despite defeat and hope to have made a difference, regardless of what happens on the green on Wednesday against South Africa.

"Hopefully when we come back on Wednesday our fighting spirit will be there and we'll be smiling," said Platt, who made her Commonwealth debut at the 2022 Games.

"We'll just do our best. If we get a medal we do, if we don't we've had a fantastic Commonwealth Games and I've been very proud to have been selected and play here.

mpu2

"I just hope that people out there, with any disability, can see us and think 'I can do that'.

"Unfortunately, there are a lot of clubs that don't welcome disabled people and that needs to change, the attitude needs to change.

"We play extremely well, we play higher than most club members. I play for my county, Michelle plays for her county, I've played up here at Leamington.

"We are as good as the able-bodied and they need to accept that, and clubs need to accept us."

*There's never been a better time to discover bowls, truly a sport for everybody. It's all to play for – discover more at www.bowlsengland.com

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