Tokyo set to stage major World Bowling Tour event in 2015

LAUSANNE, March 30th - The World Bowling Tour is thrilled to announce it has added the host city of Tokyo to its list of Major events for 2015. Utilising a World Class existing bowling venue and an adapted built-in lane construction to one of Tokyo’s convention centres, the event is set to impress with a generous prize pool and a tournament schedule showcasing men and women athletes from around the world. Set to take place July 9 – 12, the international event amplifies the already sensational list of tour locations for 2015.  

Adapting to current structures, the competition will utilise two existing locations housed in close proximity to the Tokyo Bay Area. The State of the art Minamisuma Bowling Arena in the Shinagawa Prince Hotel and the Makuhari Messe that will have a temporary lane construction built-in to the extraordinary convention centre to house the main portion of the tournament. The champion’s prize is set at JPY10,000,000 (Approx. US$83,000) and both men and women are eligible for this top prize. This sum revamps the current World Bowling Tour prize pool and reflects the existing popularity of the sport in the Japan.

The event is thoroughly backed by World Bowling and is gathering tentative support from all major government sporting entities in Japan. World bowling President Kevin Dornberger is delighted with the addition "We are very happy to add Tokyo to our list of events in 2015. Japan has a strong and competitive bowling community and they have the skills to deliver a World Class event."

The schedule is set with a preliminary competition and main tournament round with a singles component and mixed doubles component. The mixed doubles has a unique format where one male bowler and one female bowler will compete together from the regions of Eurasia, Africa, the Americas and Japan in Exhibition Matches. The competition is open to 220 bowlers and has invitational spots for 40 international athletes.  

The World Bowling Tour is managed by World Bowling, the governing body for the sport of bowling. The tour is the premier international bowling series that is hosted in numerous, unique cities around the globe. Men and women compete for points to earn places on The World Bowling Tour rankings list. The current points system is based on a continuous two-year cycle, where points include every event from 2014 and 2015.

For more information on World Bowling or the World Bowling Tour, visit WorldBowling.org

Megan Tidbury, PR & Marketing Director

Telephone: +41 78 830 3651; Email: megan@worldbowling.org