FeatureTalk-When will sense prevail on the issue of Tenpin Bowling becoming an Olympic sport?

Tenpin bowling is played by over 100 million people worldwide. Over 10 million people worldwide compete at either amateur or professional level. The number of bowling lanes worldwide is now up to 250,000. Petitions have been posted and signed by huge numbers on the internet, including a petition page on Facebook which currently has over 9,000 members. Yet somehow it continues to be snubbed by the Olympic Games.

Tenpin bowling is now probably the biggest sport in the world which is not yet part of the Olympic Games. The Bowling World Cup, which is held annually in destinations around the world, has proven extremely successful. Amateurs love the opportunity to travel the world, to represent their country, to walk out at the opening ceremony with their nation’s flag, to wear the colours of their nation proudly. To do this at the Olympic Games would be a high-point in any bowler’s career, and a moment which they would never forget.

And the tournament has become even more appealing since professionals of the game were allowed to take part. For every amateur, and I know this through personal experience, playing alongside the best players in the world is the most exciting experience you can be involved in, not just in bowling, but in any sport. The Olympics is, admittedly, considered an amateur showcase. However, this should not be a sticking point. Even professional footballers can now take part in the Olympics, with teams allowed to field a certain number of professionals in their side. So this is a non-argument before it is even begun.

Bowling has also seen huge growth in Western Europe over the past two decades, especially in Britain and France. It also has a massive base in Asia now, with one of the American Professional Bowlers Tour events now taking place in Japan, and one of the events of this year’s World Bowling Tour to take place in Thailand. It has a growing popularity base in Eastern Europe, and added to its ever-strong popularity in the Americas, the base for the sport to be included is almost unavoidable now. It simply is too big a sport to ignore.

 In 1979, the International Olympic Committee officially recognised the Fédération Internationale des Qulleurs as the governing body of bowling. The FIQ has been tirelessly lobbying for the sport to be included in the Olympics ever since, but illogically the sport has remained on the sidelines. The closest the sport has come to Olympic status was as a demonstration sport at the Seoul Olympics in 1988.

Tenpin bowling appeals greatly to such a large proportion of the population worldwide. It has also become extremely popular as a disability sport. There is one key reason why its popularity is so widespread: despite subtleties of skill in the professional game it is, in essence, a very simple game. It can essentially be played and enjoyed by anyone, anywhere; a point which is proven by the number of people who play it today.

The sport is also officially recognised as a Paralympic discipline, and it features at numerous disability games throughout the world. However, as with the Olympics, ten pin bowling has never featured at Paralympic Games level. This simply does not make sense. The reasoning behind it has been rationalised by Steffi Klein, from the International Paralympic Association: “Sports or disciplines which are not on the Olympic programme, will not be considered for inclusion on the Paralympic programme, unless it is considered to be a special or distinctive sport for athletes with a disability.”

Apparently ten pin bowling does not fall under the category of “a special or distinctive sport for athletes with a disability”. However, I do not agree with this in the slightest. The introduction of physical aids such as ball-ramps, lane barriers and computerised scoring have made the sport much more competitive, enjoyable and easy to play for bowlers with a range of disabilities. There is also, I believe, enough of a distinction between the sport at able-bodied and disable-bodied level to be considered distinctive for athletes with a disability.

In the all-too-ignored third member of the Olympic family, the Special Olympics, tenpin bowling has a long and illustrious history. It has become one of the biggest sports in the Special Olympics today. So just how long must we wait for the able and disable-bodied alike to get the chance to perform on the world stage?

It is quite clear that the case which is being put forward by such a large number of people involved in tenpin bowling for Olympic status cannot be ignored. 100 million people simply cannot be wrong. It is surely time, then, for the International Olympic Committee to sit up and take notice of the sport, and to give it the respect it deserves.