Jim Baker (bowls)
{{short description|Northern Irish former bowler}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| headercolor =
| name = Jim Baker
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| nationality = British (Northern Irish)
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|2|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = Belfast, Northern Ireland
| death_date =
| death_place =
| club = Cliftonville BC
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry| 25px Ireland}}
{{MedalCompetition | World Outdoor Championships }}
{{MedalGold | 1984 Aberdeen | triples }}
{{MedalGold | 1988 Auckland | fours }}
{{MedalGold | 2004 Ayr | fours }}
{{MedalSilver | 2004 Ayr | pairs }}
{{MedalCountry|{{NIR}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|World Indoor Championships}}
{{MedalGold|1984 Coatbridge|singles}}
{{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}}
{{MedalSilver | 1990 Auckland|fours}}
{{MedalBronze | 2002 Manchester|fours}}
}}
Jim Baker is a former Northern Irish international lawn and indoor bowler.{{cite web|url=http://bowlstawa.com/titles/players/titles/2317|title=profile|publisher=Bowls Tawa}}
Bowls career
Baker was born in Belfast on 18 February 1958. After finishing runner-up in the 1982 World Indoor Bowls Championship he went one better in 1984 clinching the World Indoor title.{{cite book|last=Sullivan|first=Patrick|title=Guinness Bowls the Records|year=1986|publisher=Guinness Superlatives|isbn=0-85112-414-3}}
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.ulstersportsmuseum.org/portraits/jimbaker-indepth.html|title=Ulster Sports Museum|publisher=Ulster Sports Museum}}
In the 2004 World Championships he won a third gold medal for the combined Irish team, in the fours with Jonathan Ross, Noel Graham and Neil Booth{{cite web|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=oxfshlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=IF502691499&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|title="Ireland success." Times [London, England] 7 Aug. 2004|work=The Times}} and a silver medal with Noel Graham in the pairs during the 2004 World Outdoor Bowls Championship.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/3940235.stm |title=Irish pair lose final |date=30 July 2004 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=10 November 2024 }}
In addition Baker has won two Commonwealth Games medals.{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/commonwealth/bowls.htm|title=COMMONWEALTH GAMES MEDALLISTS - BOWLS|publisher=GBR Athletics}}{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0005344/20020131/509/0060 |title=Commonwealth Games call up for Ballyclare teacher |work=Newtownabbey Times and East Antrim Times |date=31 January 2002 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=20 November 2024 }}
At national level he also won the 1989 Irish National Bowls Championships singles.{{cite web|url=http://irishbowlingassociation.co.uk/iba-national-championships-previous-winners/|title=IBA Singles winners|publisher=Irish Bowls Association}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Jim}}
Category:Male lawn bowls players from Northern Ireland
Category:Sportspeople from Belfast
Category:Commonwealth Games medallists in lawn bowls
Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Northern Ireland
Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Northern Ireland
Category:Bowls World Champions
Category:Bowls players at the 1990 Commonwealth Games
Category:Bowls players at the 2002 Commonwealth Games