New sponsor announced for Bowler of the Year awards

Bowls England is delighted to announce massage specialists Cyclo-ssage as title sponsors of the 2009 Bowler of the Year awards.

Cyclo-ssage has designed a unique and portable Massage System that gently increases blood and lymphatic circulation by stimulating deep muscle activity with no side effects.

The company demonstrated its products to players, spectators and officials, including Bowls England Chief Executive Tony Allcock, at the Men's and Women's National Championships earlier this year.

Cyclo-ssage director Philip Boulton said: "Many bowlers and officials, including Tony Allcock, tried it out at the National Championships this summer and were delighted with the results. We are convinced that the Pro Personal Massage System, which offers a gentle, yet highly effective massage action, can contribute positively to the improved health of bowlers of all ages as well as enhancing performance levels."

Leading bowls journalist David Rhys Jones, who has organised the awards since 1993, added: "We were determined not to let the awards, which have become a popular feature of Bowls England annual dinners, disappear, and we welcome the offer from Cyclo-ssage to put their name to the 2009 awards. I am also pleased to say that Henselite and Taylor Bowls are staying on board, and they will provide the winners with prizes 'in kind' from their range of bowls or some state-of-the-art bowls gear."

The Cyclo-ssage/Henselite Woman Bowler of the Year will be announced at the Bowls England Women's Annual Dinner being held at the Walkers Stadium in Leicester this Friday (20th November). The Cyclo-ssage/Taylor Bowls Male Bowler of the Year award will be presented at the Bowls England Men's Dinner at the same venue in February.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Introduced in 1990, the Woman Bowler of the Year was at first co-sponsored by Henselite and The Daily Telegraph.

The Male Bowler of the Year award started in 1998, sponsored jointly by The Times and Taylor Bowls.

The Times assumed responsibility for both awards in 2007 but decided it could not continue as it is 'regrettably no longer able to provide a proper service to our sport'.