Visually impaired bowler says the sport saved him

Ron Homer will compete at the Commonwealth Games this year [BBC] A man who started playing bowls after losing his sight in his mid-40s says the sport has been "a complete lifesaver". Ron Homer from Yeovil Visually Impaired Bowls Club began playing following a recommendation from his social worker after losing his sight, and consequently his job and driving licence. After winning a gold medal in New Zealand in 2015 and travelling to places like South Africa and Australia, Homer has been selected to compete in the Commonwealth Games.

"I would encourage anybody with sight loss or any physical disability really, don't just sit at home watching the telly," he said. "Get out, meet people. " More from Somerset We moved our parents to France to run an English-themed pub 'I'm the custodian of someone's future best friend' Headlines: Rave plane and helipad bus blocking Ron Homer is one of about 38 players taking part in the Weston Lions' Visually Impaired Bowls Tournament in Weston-super-Mare between 7 and 10 May.

The tournament was set up by David Stott about 15 years ago, and players from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales soon began travelling to take part. He said the tournament provided "great moral support" to players and showed bowls was "a wonderfully inclusive sport". "We've got complete novices, people playing their first tournament ever, right up to internationals," Stott said.

David Stott first organised the tournament about 15 years ago after visually impaired players expressed a desire to compete [BBC] Stott said the visually impaired game was played with a string down the centre of the rink, which those who were partially sighted could judge their angle from. "For the totally blind, they can feel for the string to judge the distance off," Stott said. "The markers, rather than remaining silent as they usually do in the sighted game, call the position of each bowl as it comes to rest using the clock system.