Bowling as an Olympic Sport

Should Bowling in part of the 2016 Olympics?

There are more than 95 million people worldwide that bowl. It is becoming one of the most popular sports that is played in over 90 countries, but yet it is not an Olympic sport. Some people think bowling should be an Olympic sport while others think that bowling is more of a recreational activity. But wouldn't swimming or cycling also be considered a recreational activity?

Others feel that bowling is just too slow of a sport to be added to the Olympics and just not exciting enough. In my opinion, the level of competition and skill is no different than any of the other sports that are at the Olympics. If you are a determined bowler then you can understand the dedication and the amount of time that is spent practicing and improving your game and control. It take a lot of stamina to roll a 15-16 lb bowling ball down a 60 foot lane with a goal to knock down all 10 pins at one time continuously. Not to mention the mental preparation involved.

How would bowling become an Olympic sport?

In order for bowling to become an Olympic sport, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) determines that it is widely practiced around the world. It needs to be practiced in at least 50 countries for female sports and 75 countries for male sports. In the case of bowling, it is practiced in over 90 countries. It also needs to hold World Championships and be voted in by a 2/3 majority by the IOC members at the first IOC meeting.

Is bowling popular enough to be an Olympic sport?

Bowling has grown Internationally in countries such as France, Britain, Japan and even Thailand. The PBA (Professional Bowlers Association and the JPBA (Japan Professional Bowlers Association) hold their event the Round 1 Japan cup annually. It celebrated it 25th anniversary in 2010. Europe also has over 1300 bowling centers & continues to grow. Japan has the largest bowling center with 116 lanes on one single floor.

What are the odds that bowling does become an Olympic sport?

Both The United States Bowling Congress and The Federation Internationale des Quillers have tried to get bowling into the Olympics, but have been unsuccessful. The closest was back in 1988 at the Summer Olympics or Games of the XXIV Olympiad held in Seoul, Korea which bowling was added as a demonstration sport. Only 20 nations participated. Two Americans represented the USA, for the men's tournament Mark Lewis, who placed 6th and for the women's tournament Debbie McMullen, who placed 7th. In the men's tournament, Kwon Jong Yul of South Korea received the gold, Jack Loke Chin of Singapore received the silver and Tapani Peltola of Finland receive the bronze. In the women's tournament, Arianne Cerdena of Philppines received the gold, Atsuko Asai of Japan the silver and Annikki Magttola of Finland the bronze. All though the American bowlers did not win any metals, they represented the USA and were part of a special era of bowling history.

It is time that the IOC step up and acknowledge the sport of bowling and give it the recognition it deserves. I wonder how many nations would participate if bowling was added to the Olympic games of 2016. I don't think in my life time that I will see bowling at the Olympics, but one can only hope. Maybe our children will.

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