Recent standout performances by players from Commonwealth countries highlight the strength of talent by tenpin bowlers on the world stage.
Hot on the heels of the historic Gold medal in Swimming won by Singapore’s Joseph Schooling at the Rio Olympics, compatriot New Hui Fen captured the 2016 Smithfield Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) Tour Championship in Virginia, USA.
24 year-old New defeated her Team Singapore teammate Cherie Tan in the championship match, 258-235, to win her first PWBA title, which also was a Major. The PWBA Tour has experienced an influx of international talent this season with Team Singapore playing a big role in the second year of the re-launched Tour. New became the fourth player from Singapore over the last two seasons to win a PWBA event or major championship. Jazreel Tan won the 2015 PWBA Lubbock Sports Open, Bernice Lim won the 2016 United States Bowling Congress Queens and Cherie Tan captured the 2016 PWBA Storm Sacramento Open.
Despite competing in just six events this season, New earned enough competition points to secure another coveted title – 2016 PWBA Rookie of the Year - the first international rookie of the year since Australia’s Cara Honeychurch in 2000.
England’s Dominic Barrett, Stuart Williams and Paul Moor, together with male and female bowlers from Malaysia are regular star performers in the professional and Zone Tour events while South Africa’s Francois Louw made headlines with his outstanding performance as runner-up in the Men’s division of the QAMF Bowling World Cup late last year, with 6 of the top 32 male and 8 of the top 32 female bowlers representing Commonwealth countries in the final standings.
At the European Men’s Championship held in August, attended by 37 European country 6-man teams (a qualifier for the combined World Championships in 2017), both Wales and England pre-qualified for the World Championships, against very high level opposition. “That means Wales fields Men's and Ladies Teams at the Worlds. A first for us, but by no means a last,” TBAW President Terry Richards reported proudly.
This week has also seen early success by Commonwealth nation-based men on the Professional Bowling Association (PBA) Tour currently underway in the United States. Canadian Francois Lavoie earned the top berth for the stepladder finals of the PBA Wolf Open on Monday as the PBA Fall Swing got underway at Thunderbowl Lanes in Michigan.
With a 239.83 average after 12 games, Lavoie claimed the lead with a total of 2,878 pins, 76 ahead of two-handed star and three-time reigning PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte from Australia. On Thursday, Belmonte, Lavoie and fellow Canadian Graham Fach qualified for the stepladder finals of the PBA Badger Open, also propelling the 33-year-old Australian into top spot leading into the stepladder finals of the PBA Detroit Open. Belmonte finished the 36-game Detroit Open qualifying phase, bowled in three 12-game blocks on the PBA’s Wolf, Bear and Badger lane-oiling patterns, with a 229.9 average for an 8,277 pinfall total.
The CBS Sports Network telecasts of the stepladder finals of the PBA Wolf, Bear, Badger and Detroit Open tournaments will be conducted this weekend, for airing throughout September and October.
"It's wonderful to see how regularly bowlers from our Commonwealth nations feature in the top echelons of bowling competitions around the globe," commented CTBF President, Julian Pace-Bonello. "It clearly demonstrates the depth of talent of our popular sport throughout the world, and our next Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championship coming up in Johannesburg is sure to be a very exciting tournament for players and spectators alike," he added.
Further details of the VII Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championship in November are published on the official website – www.ctbc2016.org – and associated social media platforms.
Hot on the heels of the historic Gold medal in Swimming won by Singapore’s Joseph Schooling at the Rio Olympics, compatriot New Hui Fen captured the 2016 Smithfield Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) Tour Championship in Virginia, USA.
24 year-old New defeated her Team Singapore teammate Cherie Tan in the championship match, 258-235, to win her first PWBA title, which also was a Major. The PWBA Tour has experienced an influx of international talent this season with Team Singapore playing a big role in the second year of the re-launched Tour. New became the fourth player from Singapore over the last two seasons to win a PWBA event or major championship. Jazreel Tan won the 2015 PWBA Lubbock Sports Open, Bernice Lim won the 2016 United States Bowling Congress Queens and Cherie Tan captured the 2016 PWBA Storm Sacramento Open.
Despite competing in just six events this season, New earned enough competition points to secure another coveted title – 2016 PWBA Rookie of the Year - the first international rookie of the year since Australia’s Cara Honeychurch in 2000.
England’s Dominic Barrett, Stuart Williams and Paul Moor, together with male and female bowlers from Malaysia are regular star performers in the professional and Zone Tour events while South Africa’s Francois Louw made headlines with his outstanding performance as runner-up in the Men’s division of the QAMF Bowling World Cup late last year, with 6 of the top 32 male and 8 of the top 32 female bowlers representing Commonwealth countries in the final standings.
At the European Men’s Championship held in August, attended by 37 European country 6-man teams (a qualifier for the combined World Championships in 2017), both Wales and England pre-qualified for the World Championships, against very high level opposition. “That means Wales fields Men's and Ladies Teams at the Worlds. A first for us, but by no means a last,” TBAW President Terry Richards reported proudly.
This week has also seen early success by Commonwealth nation-based men on the Professional Bowling Association (PBA) Tour currently underway in the United States. Canadian Francois Lavoie earned the top berth for the stepladder finals of the PBA Wolf Open on Monday as the PBA Fall Swing got underway at Thunderbowl Lanes in Michigan.
With a 239.83 average after 12 games, Lavoie claimed the lead with a total of 2,878 pins, 76 ahead of two-handed star and three-time reigning PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte from Australia. On Thursday, Belmonte, Lavoie and fellow Canadian Graham Fach qualified for the stepladder finals of the PBA Badger Open, also propelling the 33-year-old Australian into top spot leading into the stepladder finals of the PBA Detroit Open. Belmonte finished the 36-game Detroit Open qualifying phase, bowled in three 12-game blocks on the PBA’s Wolf, Bear and Badger lane-oiling patterns, with a 229.9 average for an 8,277 pinfall total.
The CBS Sports Network telecasts of the stepladder finals of the PBA Wolf, Bear, Badger and Detroit Open tournaments will be conducted this weekend, for airing throughout September and October.
"It's wonderful to see how regularly bowlers from our Commonwealth nations feature in the top echelons of bowling competitions around the globe," commented CTBF President, Julian Pace-Bonello. "It clearly demonstrates the depth of talent of our popular sport throughout the world, and our next Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championship coming up in Johannesburg is sure to be a very exciting tournament for players and spectators alike," he added.
Further details of the VII Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championship in November are published on the official website – www.ctbc2016.org – and associated social media platforms.
