TEENAGE bowling ace Darren Weir tasted national title glory for the first tine - just months after lining up in one of the world's biggest events.

And the 16-year-old from Prestwick ultimately hopes to go right to the top in the sport he has been playing for almost a decade.

He defeated Alistair Nimmo from East Fife 21-10 to win the Under-18 Gents title at the national championships in Paisley a week past on Sunday.

The glorious triumph came four months after he lined up in the Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa.

Prestwick Academy Fifth Year pupil Darren is delighted with his success and said: "It was a great feeling to win the national title. Hard work was the key to my success. I have been practising three nights a week and also playing league games at the weekend."

The youngster, who plays at Prestwick Indoor Bowling Club and outdoors at Kincaidston and Belmont Bowling Club, is still on a high after lining up in the Youth Games, in which he just missed out on a bronze medal.

He said: "It was a great experience playing in Samoa as the facilities were superb and I stayed in the athletes' village and had a good insight in other sports through meeting athletes, weightlifters, swimmers and boxers. It was a great honour to be selected. I won three of my five matches and just lost out on a medal on shots difference. I would say the experience of playing in the Youth Games helped me when was in the national final."

Just weeks after the event in Samoa, Darren won a bronze medal in the British isles Under-18 Championships in Ireland after reaching the semi-finals of the top event.

Next up for the teenager, who was in last year's Scottish Young Bowlers Association squad, is an Under-17 Series against Ireland which is being held in Ireland or Falkirk in April.

He added: "I captained Scotland in the Series last year, we won it and I won all three matches so hopefully we can do it again."

Darren admits to being inspired by four-time World Indoor champion and Commonwealth Games triple gold medallist and Prestwick clubmate Paul Foster and hopes ultimately to follow in his illustrious footsteps.

He said: "Paul is an inspiration. He will always talk to me if he sees me playing at Prestwick. My ultimate goal would be to represent Scotland in the Commonwealth Games. But I reckon that could be at least 10 years away as the current team are so successful that they won't be changing it any time soon."

The teenager enjoys the sport and hopes other youngsters will take it up.

He said: "I have been playing for nearly 10 years and I enjoy bowls a lot. There's a perception that it's for old men but that is far from the case as a lot more young people are playing. The exposure the sport got from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow has hopefully got more people interested."