Bowler ignores controversy as she gears up for Games

Whangarei lawn bowler Manu Timoti has tried hard to turn a blind eye to the controversy in Delhi this week as she psyches herself up for her first Commonwealth Games campaign.
"I've been ignoring all the reports of the poor accommodation facilities and disorganisation over there in the village, otherwise you tend to dwell on these sorts of things and lose your focus," she said. That is the biggest challenge ahead for us in Delhi - keeping our focus."
After starting bowls 13 years ago on a whim, Timoti is near to reaching the pinnacle of the lawn bowls world and is pretty excited about it.
"The Commonwealth Games is one of the top two tournaments to compete in for bowls, along with the World Championships. I'm not too sure what other athletes have been saying about the Games and their importance internationally but being my first time at them, it is a big thing - as it is for all of the bowlers as they are the pinnacle for us."
The 32-year-old from Hikurangi, who left yesterday for the Indian capital via Dubai with the 16- strong (12 bowlers and four support) New Zealand lawn bowls contingent, knows what to expect when she reaches Delhi. The NZ team got their first taste of India when they contested the Eight Nations Tournament in late May.
The 40C-plus heat and the risk of suffering from dreaded Delhi belly does not phase Timoti.
"I'm looking forward to going back to India, it's not that different to Malaysia.
"The greens are a lot slower than ours but that suits me. I like the slow greens - you just have to change your whole type of delivery as it's so different to NZ."
Timoti's skip at the Eight Nations fell ill, at which point the assistant coach stepped in, but NZ coach Dave Edwards said the cool Timoti did not let it affect her game.
"She still performed well," he said. "She is a really reliable and solid player who has picked up her game over the past 12-18 months ..."
Following the Eight Nations Tournament Timoti competed at international competitions in Fiji and Malaysia, winning several bronze and gold medals, as well as at the Gold Coast in the transtasman test, which Australia won overall.
It has been a jam-packed year for Timoti, who has had the full support of her family and her workplace - the Maori Land Court - behind her.
"I wouldn't have been able to do everything this year without that support," she said.
Timoti said she was confident of winning a medal in Delhi in the women's pairs with partner Jan Khan, daughter of Commonwealth Games gold medallist Millie Khan.
The duo have performed well at the recent Bowls NZ camps held in Khan's hometown of Christchurch and in Auckland.
"We have played together before at the Asia Pacific Tournament in 2008 in two different disciplines. We won a gold and bronze in the fours and triples," Timoti said. The biggest threat to the pair will come from the Australian, Malaysian and the English teams.
The Kiwi lawn bowls team is from various clubs around the country, and in the group of 12 bowlers, there are six teams competing in different disciplines at the upcoming Commonwealth Games. Every one of the teams is a possible medal chance.
When the Northern Advocate spoke with Timoti, she was busy preparing to leave Auckland with the team last night . Overnight on Thursday, the decision was made by Bowls NZ and the New Zealand Olympic Committee to fly out as planned last night to Dubai, but instead of transferring to India, the team will spend two-and-a-half days in Dubai as a result of the delay in accessing the Commonwealth Games village.