A FREAK accident on a skiing holiday has put Island bowler Allan Quémard out of two big tournaments in the next few weeks.

The former under-18 Muratti footballer broke two ribs after falling on ice walking into town in the resort of Chamonix, France, and as a result of his injury he misses next week’s European Team Bowls Championships and the Indoor British Isles Championships next month.’

Quémard said: ‘I’m gutted; I wouldn’t have minded if I had done it on a ski run but to do it walking down the road early evening is really sickening. I slipped on a pavement on the first day of the holiday which meant I didn’t even get the chance to ski.’

Cyril Renouf will now replace him and join Gaynor Thomas, Eileen Vowden and Malcolm de Sousa in the Euopean championships being held in Cyprus next week. A total of 16 teams are competing with each team consisting of four players, two men and two women, who all play a series of singles and mixed pairs matches over six days.

• Picture above: Bowler Allan Quémard resting his broken ribs at home with his dog Alex. (00627204). Below: The team off to Paphos (clockwise from top left): Malcolm de Sousa, Cyril Renouf, Eileen Vowden and Gaynor Thomas. Pictures by Matthew Hotton (00626314)