Maldwyn Evans

Maldwyn Lewis Evans (8 November 1937 – 30 December 2009), often known as "Mal" Evans, was a Welsh bowls champion, who won the World Championship in 1972.^[1] He is the only Welshman ever to have held the title.^[2]

Evans was born in Gelli, Rhondda. His father won the Welsh Pairs Championship in 1952 with his brother (Maldwyn's uncle) John Morgan Evans (1917-1985), a world-class player. Maldwyn Evans was educated at Pentre Secondary School and later obtained a degree in history from University College of North Wales Bangor. He worked as a teacher in Swansea, Porth, Tonypandy^[3] and Ferndale.

Evans played bowls for Wales from 1967 until 1985, and he was a member of the Gelli Park club.^[4] He won the Gibson-Watt Welsh Open Singles at Llandrindod Wells three times (1964, 1966 and 1967), and the Welsh Pairs Championship twice (1966 and 1967) with his brother Gwyn. Following his world championship success, he won a bronze medal as part of the Welsh team at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada. He won the Welsh indoor singles title in 1978, and captained the Welsh team in the world championship in Melbourne in 1980.

He died in his home at Ton Pentre, Rhondda, aged 72, and was cremated at Pontypridd.

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