Jim Baker (bowls)

Jim Baker
Personal information
NationalityBritish (Northern Irish)
Born (1958-02-18) 18 February 1958 (age 68)
Sport
ClubCliftonville BC[1]
Ballymena BC

Jim Baker is a former Northern Irish international lawn and indoor bowler.[2]

Bowls career

Baker won the 1984 World Indoor Bowls Championship, becoming the first and to date only open champion from Northern Ireland. He was also runner-up in 1982.[3]

Baker was part of the gold medal-winning triples for the combined Irish team in the 1984 World Outdoor Bowls Championship and gold medal-winning fours in the 1988 World Outdoor Bowls Championship.[4] He won a silver with Northern Ireland at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand.[5]

In the 2004 World Championship, he won a third gold medal for the combined Irish team in the fours with Jonathan Ross, Noel Graham and Neil Booth[6] and a silver medal with Noel Graham in the pairs during the 2004 World Outdoor Bowls Championship.[7]

In addition, he won another Commonwealth Games medal at the 2002 Games in Manchester.[8][9]

At national level, he also won the 1989 Irish National Bowls Championships singles, bowling for Cliftonville Bowls Club.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Busy week for Brendan and Jim". Belfast Telegraph. 25 July 1981. p. 15. Retrieved 3 January 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. ^ "profile". Bowls Tawa.
  3. ^ Sullivan, Patrick (1986). Guinness Bowls the Records. Guinness Superlatives. ISBN 0-85112-414-3.
  4. ^ "Ulster Sports Museum". Ulster Sports Museum. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  5. ^ "A happy golden return for Wood". South Wales Daily Post. 2 February 1990. Retrieved 16 September 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ ""Ireland success." Times [London, England] 7 Aug. 2004". The Times.
  7. ^ "Irish pair lose final". BBC Sport. 30 July 2004. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  8. ^ "COMMONWEALTH GAMES MEDALLISTS - BOWLS". GBR Athletics.
  9. ^ "Commonwealth Games call up for Ballyclare teacher". Newtownabbey Times and East Antrim Times. 31 January 2002. Retrieved 20 November 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "IBA Singles winners". Irish Bowls Association.