Throughout the Olympics, Page 2 writers (on ESPN.com) will argue the merits of including various sports in the Games. To qualify as an Olympic sport, an activity must be "widely practiced by men in at least 75 countries and on four continents, and by women in at least 40 countries and on three continents," according to Olympics officials. In other words, participation matters. So you'd think the sport with the second-highest rate of participation in the world would be a shoo-in for Olympic medal recognition, right? Nope. Bowling, which is practiced by over 100 million people in over 100 countries, has never gained official Olympic sanction. That needs to change…
The World Tenpin Bowling Association has announced that the bidding process for the WTBA World Championships in 2013 has so far attracted interest from more than 15 potential hosts from across the five continents. With almost two months to go before the October first bid submission deadline, the number and geographical diversity of potential hosts that have expressed interest in organizing the event has been impressive and reflects the universality of the sport.
The president of World Tenpin Bowling Association (WTBA, Kevin Dornberger (pictured right), United States, and the President of World Ninepin Bowling Association (WNBA), Ludwig Kocsis, Austria, have made discussions in several conversations and meetings about the future of the Federation Internationale des Quilleurs (FIQ) and/or Tenpin and Ninepin. The result of these conversations is a proposal which was sent to all WTBA and WNBA member federations. 
The World Tenpin Bowling Association has signed a 15-month agreement with TSE Consulting, an international sports consultancy firm, in an effort to increase the attractiveness of the WTBA World Championships for potential host cities. Working in cooperation with TSE Consulting, the WTBA wants to ensure that the World Championships continue to play a key role in its long-term strategy of becoming an Olympic sport as well as develop a strong connection between the sport and the host city.
The USBC Open Championships Lanes at Cashman Center is a specially constructed bowling arena that includes 60 lanes, stadium spectator seating, multiple pro shops, large state-of-the art scoring screens built above the lanes and much more. The construction of the venue began in December 2008 and it took nearly 45 days to complete. Cashman Center hosted the USBC Masters and the USBC Open Championships. Before the temporary lanes will be removed, the 2009 Women's World Championships will be staged from July 24 through Aug. 3, 2009. 
Bowling leaders from around the world got a first-hand look at the new International Bowling Campus as the World Tenpin Bowling Association Presidium convened March 6 and 7. Representatives from nine countries were on hand for the meetings,
which were hosted by WTBA President and United States Bowling Congress
Chief Operating Officer Kevin Dornberger. Among the Presidium members in attendance were Jose Guandique of El
Salvador, Veronica Rajii of Chile, Vivien Fung of Hong Kong, Danny
Santos of The Philippines, Kim Thorsgaard Jensen of Denmark, Addie
Ophelders of The Netherlands, Bernard Pujol of France and WTBA
Secretary General Christer Jonsson of Sweden.
The European Bowling Tour has recently announced it will have two tournaments in the 2009 schedule where players will compete on dual oil patterns. Following the lead of Ronald Dol and Luc Jensen, organizers of the EBT Hammer Bronzen Schietspoel Tournament which will use dual oil patterns for the third year in a row, the Brunswick Aalborg International will also be contested on dual oil patterns for the second straight year. Although dual oil patterns have been a mainstay of international championship competition for the last several years, most other high level singles events still use a single oil pattern, but times are changing.
Rafael "Paeng" Nepomuceno of the Philippines is the recipient of the 2009 World Bowling Writers Mort Luby Jr. Distinguished Service Award. Although Paeng's bowling career isn't over yet and he is still a force to be reckoned with in international tournaments worldwide, the USBC silver level coach is now dedicating most of his time to returning great services to the sport, including coaching conferences, exhibitions and as an ambassador for the United States Bowling Congress. Paeng is a 3-time WBW World Bowler of the Year (1998, '85 and '92) and was the first player elected to the WBW Hall of Fame in 1993. 
Australian tenpin sports star Ann-Maree Putney from Newcastle has been honored by the announcement that she is to be inducted into the international WBW Hall of Fame. Putney's career haul of eight gold, ten silver and nine bronze medals at world level is seen as a truly remarkable result and is of iconic proportions. Putney signed off with, "I thought winning at world level for Australia was the pinnacle of success, but this is just a whole new experience. I am humbled," she added.
Former Team USA member Bill Hoffman of Columbus, Ohio, has become just the second American male elected to the World Bowling Writers Hall of Fame. Hoffman joins Les Zikes of Chicago, who was inducted in 1999, among an elite group of international players selected for the honor. A nine-time Team USA member from 1999-2008, Hoffman has won dozens of medals in international competition. Hoffman now serves as the International Development team leader for the United States Bowling Congress, helping to grow the sport of bowling around the world.
PDM Sports, organizer of the annual World Sports Festival in Austria, received one of the top honors in the 12th Austrian Event Award 2008 conducted in Salzburg, Austria. 106 projects were targeting for the golden award in 10 different categories. The jury awarded the "Events Oscar" to PDM Sports and the World Sports Festival in the category "Public Events Sport". The 2009 World Sports Festival will run from July 9-12 with the tenpin bowling events being contested once again at Brunswick Bowling Hernals in Vienna, Austria.
At the fourth Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Federation's (CTBF) Congress held in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Julian Pace Bonello, president of the Malta Tenpin Bowling Association, was confirmed as head of the CTBF for another four-year term. The congress was attended by all Commonwealth nations that were present in Northern Ireland for the IV Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championships, namely Australia, Bahamas, Canada, England, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, India, Malaysia, Malta, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Singapore and Wales.
The guy to talk to, I was told, is "the kingpin of bowling."
Bowlingdigital was informed that two-time PBA player of the year Amleto Monacelli (pictured left), an 18-time PBA champion and the first non U.S. player, who was elected into the PBA Hall of Fame (1997), is not welcome in his country's national team. Monacelli's offer to qualify for the national team for the 2008 Men's World Championships in Thailand was declined. Despite Monacelli's support from the entire men's national team the officials of the Venezuelan Bowling Federation denied Monacelli's bid as "he has not participated in four national tournaments as requested by the VBF".
After a year when she won titles in four countries, Team USA's Diandra Asbaty (l.) has been named the 2007 World Bowling Writers Female Bowler of the Year. High Roller champion Jason Belmonte (r.) of Australia was selected as the Bowler of the Year among men. Former Denny's PBA Tour exempt player Tore Torgersen of Norway and 3-time world champion Zara Glover of England were both selected to join the WBW Hall of Fame. 
