During the 2011 AMF Australian Masters, a WTBA World Bowling Tour event, five Australian standouts took on a team of five international stars in a made-for-television competition series. The AMF Australian Masters International Challenge was held Thursday, Oct. 20 at AMF Bowling, Rooty Hill in Sydney.

The bowlers representing Australia matched the four-male and one-female international team, and included some of this country’s most experienced and versatile bowlers.

2010 Australian Masters champion Sam Cooley, Australian representatives George Frilingos and Jason Walsh, and winner of this year’s prestigious ESPY Award, Jason Belmonte will be joined by Carol Gianotti (pictured right) whose stellar career has recently been rewarded by induction into the USBC Hall of Fame.

The international line-up included 2010-11 PBA Player of the Year, Mika Koivuniemi from Finland, 2005-06 PBA Player of the Year Tommy Jones and two-time PBA champion Mike Fagan from the United States, Canadian-born pro-bowler Dan MacLelland with four-time World champion Shannon Pluhowsky (left), United States, completing this high profile group.

The International Challenge comprised a series of singles, doubles and team matches in which the winner of each match was awarded points to determine the overall champion of the inaugural 2011 AMF Australian Masters

Arena seating around a single lane created an intense and visually exciting atmosphere for the event that was subsequently produced into a series of up to nine television episodes. These shows are currently televised via the digital TV platforms of TVS Sydney, QCTV Brisbane, C31 Melbourne/Geelong, C44 Adelaide and WTV Perth, and will be available to a global audience online, 24 hours after being televised, via Youtube.