World Bowling makes its new debut at Asian Games

As the 2014 Asian Games starts in Incheon (South Korea), WorldBowling 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 appearanceon the programme, making it one of the biggest sports represented in this edition, as it hands out 12gold medals.

South Korea is a fantastic setup for these Games, especially given the reputation of Bowling in thiscountry. Tremendously popular, bowling is anchored in Korean culture. So why and how our sportbecame 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 createsports complexes and leave a strong legacy. In the 70’s bowling was a sport on the rise, grabbingworldwide attention and acquiring a place for itself in Korean culture. Thus began the tradition ofKorean Bowling. The "bowling fever" then took all of Asia of by storm, quickly securing a slot in theAsian Games in 1978. Since then the sport has traditionally been dominated by the current hostnation – South Korea - but other nations are getting ready to challenge for the top spot, making thenext few days of competition a highly anticipated event.

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

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

For further information, please contact:

World Bowling Kevin Dornberger, President

Telephone: +1 414 803 9188

Email: President@worldbowling.org

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