World Bowling makes its new debut at Asian Games

Thursday, September 18 2014 - As the 2014 Asian Games starts in Incheon (South Korea), World Bowling will be a major feature on the programme of this 17th edition. 

Bowling, one of the few non-Olympic sports in the Asian Games, will make an exclusive appearance on the programme, making it one of the biggest sports represented in this edition, as it hands out 12 gold medals.

South Korea is a fantastic setup for these Games, especially given the reputation of Bowling in this country. Tremendously popular, bowling is anchored in Korean culture. So why and how our sport became so attractive and successful in this country? 

Part of the answer lies in the fact that Korea is such a compact country, making it easier to create sports complexes and leave a strong legacy. In the 70’s bowling was a sport on the rise, grabbing worldwide attention and acquiring a place for itself in Korean culture. Thus began the tradition of Korean Bowling. The "bowling fever" then took all of Asia of by storm, quickly securing a slot in the Asian Games in 1978. Since then the sport has traditionally been dominated by the current host nation – South Korea - but other nations are getting ready to challenge for the top spot, making the next few days of competition a highly anticipated event. 

Kevin Dornberger, President of World Bowling, commented: "Professionalism – that is one of the keys of success in Korea, and it is perfectly in line with our credo since we rebranded World Bowling last year. We want to show that Bowling is both a professional game and a sport for all. I look forward to this event, to sharing our sport and our new look with the world at the Asian Games, one of the biggest events for Bowling!"

World Bowling is the official trade name for FIQ, recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the world governing body for the sport of Bowling. World Bowling is autonomous in administering the sport and is responsible to promote the development of bowling throughout the world, promote the Olympic movement, contribute to the achievement of the goals set forth in the Olympic Charter, establish rules for the uniform practice of bowling throughout the world, and ensure that official bowling activities meet the requirements of the Olympic Charter.  

Kevin Dornberger, President

Telephone: +1 414 803 9188

Email: president@worldbowling.org