BETH Riva has been crowned a world champion during her debut campaign at the World Indoor Bowls Championships.
The county bowler, cheered on by her uncle Alex Marshall, teamed up with Jason Banks to defeat Paul Foster and Katherine Rednall in the final of the mixed pairs.
After clinching the first set 12-5, Riva, of Gifford, and Banks managed to share the second and clinch the title.
Riva, who is studying law at Edinburgh Napier University, spoke afterwards about how she had cheered on multiple-time world champion Marshall at the venue, near Great Yarmouth, on many occasions.
She told the BBC: “I’m just trying to wrap my head round it, to be honest.
“Katherine is one of the best players on the planet, especially here on this rink.
“We have had a lot of chats this week about my uncle, and me coming down here when I was younger and supporting him and supporting his success around the world.
“I think it is easy for people to forget that a lot of the time he was not playing on his own.
“I was not just there supporting him but I was also cheering on Paul.
“It is really special to be here and share this moment with him.”
Riva and Banks had overcome Lucy Smith and Robert Paxton in the quarter-finals on Friday.
Then, on Saturday, they came through their semi-final against the English pairing of Nicole Rogers and Les Gillett.
That set up a final with Foster, a 13-time world indoor bowls champion, who is no stranger to East Lothian and has previously played alongside Riva’s uncle.
He was quick to praise the winning duo and tipped Riva to be celebrating again in the future.
He said: “To be honest, both Katherine and myself did struggle but that is down to how well Beth and Jason played.
“First and foremost, you have to give credit where credit is due.
“I thought Jason Banks in the first set was unbelievable – he hardly failed.
“Beth, for her first time at the World Championships, to play on the portable rink, which can be very, very daunting, she has taken it in her stride, as if she has been here for years.
“I am very proud of her and I am glad she has won her first world title and there will be many more to come.”
Twenty-one-year-old Riva will not have too long to celebrate, though.
Tomorrow (Wednesday), she faces Chelsea Spencer for a place in the final of the ladies' singles.
Meanwhile, Marshall will face off against double champion Banks, who also won the open pairs alongside Michael Stepney, in the last 16 of the open singles on Thursday evening.
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