Introduction to Bowling

Facts, general information and resources focused on the sport of bowling.

SPORT NAME: Bowling
SPORT TYPE: | Throwing | Target |

What is Bowling?
Bowling is a sport during which participants roll a ball toward objects known as bowling pins in order to try and knock them down.

International Organizations

ENTITY: International Bowling Federation
FORMERLY KNOWN AS: World Bowling (April 2014 - November 2020)
FORMERLY KNOWN AS: Federation Internationale des Quilleurs (1952-2014)
DESCRIPTION: recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the international governing body for the sport of bowling including nine pin bowling, ten pin bowling, parabowling and similar sports.
WEB SITE: bowling.sport | Link
FORMER WEB SITE: worldbowling.org (offline) | 2013 |
FORMER WEB SITE: fiq.org (offline) | 2006 |
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook Page
MEMBERS: List

NOTE: Federation Internationale des Quilleurs was an umbrella organizations for bowling and skittles federations until 2015.
World Bowling was formed by 2015 merger of FIQ and WTBA - the WNBA was an Affiliate of World Bowling

ENTITY: International Candlepin Bowling Association
WEB SITE: candlepin.org | Link |

ENTITY: World Ninepin Bowling Association (WNBA)
WEB SITE: world-ninepins.org | Link |
FORMER WEB SITE: fiq.org/serv02.htm | 2006 |
NOTE: founded in 1973 was part of the FIQ

ARCHIVE: fiq.org/serv02.htm | 2006 |

ENTITY: World Tenpin Bowling Association (WTBA)
WEB SITE: (to be added)
FORMER WEB SITE: fiq.org/WTBA.htm | 2006 |
ARTICLE: Wikipedia
NOTE: was within the FIQ

ENTITY: International Bowling Media Association
WEB SITE: bowlingmedia.org | Link |

Continental Organizations

ENTITY: Asian Bowling Federation (ABF) |
WEB SITE: www.abf-online.org | Link |
MEMBERS (CENTRAL ASIA)
- Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan Pin Sport Federation
- Turkmenistan: Turkmenistan Bowling Federation
- Uzbekistan: Uzbekistan Pin Sport Federation
MEMBERS (EAST ASIA)
- China: Chinese Bowling Association
- Hong Kong: Hong Kong Tenpin Bowling Congress
- Japan: Japan Bowling Congress
- Macao: Macao China Bowling Association
- Mongolia: Mongolian Bowling Association
- North Korea: DPR Korea Bowling Association
- South Korea: Korea Bowling Congress
- Taiwan: Chinese Taipei Bowling Association
MEMBERS (SOUTH ASIA)
- India: India Tenpin Bowling Federation
- Nepal: Nepal Bowling Association
- Pakistan: Pakistan Tenpin Bowling Federation
MEMBERS (SOUTHEAST ASIA)
- Brunei: Brunei Darussalam Tenpin Bowling Congress
- Cambodia: Cambodia Bowling Federation
- Indonesia: Persatuan Boling Indonesia
- Malaysia: Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress
- Philippines: Philippine Bowling Federation
- Singapore: Singapore Bowling Federation
- Thailand: Thai Tenpin Bowling Association
- Vietnam: Hochiminh Bowling Federation
MEMBERS (WEST ASIA)
- Afganistan: Afghanistan Bowling Federation
- Bahrain: Bahrain Bowling Association
- Iran: Iran: Iran Bowling and Billiard Federation
- Iraq: Iraqi Bowling Federation
- Jordan: Jordan Bowling Federation
- Kuwait: Kuwait Bowling Federation
- Oman: Oman Bowling
- Qatar: Qatar Bowling Federation
- Saudi Arabia: Saudi Bowling Federation
- Syria: Syria Arab Billiards Sports and Bowling Federation|
- United Arab Emirates: United Arab Emirates Bowling Federation

ENTITY: African Bowling Federation (BFA) |
WEB SITE: /bfatenpin.com | Link |
MEMBERS:
- Egypt: Egyptian Bowling Federation | egyptbowling.com (offline) | 2002 | 2018 |
- Ethiopia: Ethiopian Bowling Association
- Nigeria: Nigeria Bowling Federation
- Somalia: Somali Bowling Federation
- South Africa: South Africa Tenpin Bowling Association | tenpinbowling.co.za |
- Tunisia: Tunisia Bowling

ENTITY: European Bowling Federation (EBF)
WEB SITE: https://europeanbowling.sport/
MEMBERS (NORTHERN EUROPE)
- Denmark: Denmark Bowling Federation
- Finland: Finnish Bowling Federation
- Iceland: Icelandic Bowling Association
- Ireland: Irish Tenpin Bowling Association
- Jersey: Jersey Tenpin Bowling Association
- Norway: Norwegian Bowling Association
- Sweden: Swedish Bowling Federation
- United Kingdom - England: British Tenpin Bowling Association
- United Kingdom - Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Tenpin Bowling Federation
- United Kingdom - Scotland: Scotland Tenpin Bowling
- United Kingdom - Wales: Tenpin Bowling Association of Wales
MEMBERS (SOUTHERN EUROPE)
- Cyprus: Cyprus Bowling Federation
- Gibraltar: Gibraltar Tenpin Bowling Association
- Greece: Hellenic Federation of Precision Sports
- Italy: Tenpin Bowling Association of Italy
- Malta: Malta Tenpin Bowling Association
- Portugal: Portuguese Bowling Association - San Marino: San Marino Bowling Association
- Spain: Spanish Bowling Federation
- Spain - Catalonia: Catalan Bowling Federation
- Turkey: Turkish Bocce Bowling Dart Federation
MEMBERS (EASTERN EUROPE)
- Belarus: Belarussian Bowling Federation
- Bulgaria: Bulgarian Bowling Federation
- Croatia: Croatia Bowling Federation
- Czech Republic: Czech Bowling Association
- Estonia: Estonian Bowling Association
- Hungary: Hungarian Bowling Federation
- Kosovo: Bowling Federation of Kosovo
- Latvia: Latvia: Latvian Bowling Federation
- Lithuania: Lithuanian Bowling Federation
- Poland: Polish Nine and Tenpin Association
- Romania: Romanian Bowling Federation
- Russia: Russian Bowling Federation
- Serbia: Serbian Bowling Federation
- Slovakia: Slovak Bowling Federation
- Slovenia: Slovenian Bowling Federation
- Ukraine: All-Ukrainian Sports Tenpin Bowling Federation
MEMBERS (WESTERN EUROPE)
- Austria: Tenpin Bowling Association of Austria
- Belgium: Belgian Tenpin Bowling Federation
- France: Tenpin Bowling Association of France
- Germany: German Bowling Federation
- Luxembourg: Tenpin Bowling Association of Luxembourg
- Netherlands: Netherlands Bowling Federation
- Switzerland: Swiss Bowling Federation
MEMBERS (PHYSICALLY LOCATED IN ASIA)
- Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan Bowling Sport Federation
- Israel Bowling Federation

ENTITY: Oceania Bowling Federation (OBF)
MEMBERS:
- Australia: Tenpin Bowling Australia | tenpin.org.au |
- New Zealand: Tenpin Bowling New Zealand | tbnz.co.nz |
- Guam: Guam Bowling Congress | guambowlingcongress.com |
- Northern Mariana Islands: Saipan Bowling Association

IN ENGLISH: Pan-American Bowling Federation (Pan-Am Bowling)
IN SPANISH: Confederación Panamericana de Bowling
WEB SITE: https://panambowling.com
MEMBERS (CARIBEBAN)
- Aruba: Aruba Bowling Association
- Bahamas: Bahamas Bowling Federation
- Bermuda: Bermuda Bowling Federation
- Curacao: Curacao Bowling Association
- Dominican Republic: Dominican Republic Bowling Federation
- Puerto Rico: Puerto Rico Bowling Federation
- Virgin Islands: Virgin Island Bowling Federation (UK or US or both?)
MEMBERS (CENTRAL AMERICA)
- Costa Rica: Federacion Costarricense de Boliche
- El Salvador Bowling Federation
- Guatemala Bowling Federation
- Honduras Bowling Federation
- Panama: Panama Bowling Federation
MEMBERS (NORTH AMERICA)
- Mexico: Mexican Bowling Federation
- Canada: Canadian Tenpin Federation
- United States: United States Bowling Congress
MEMBERS (SOUTH AMERICA)
- Argentina Bowling Federation
- Bolivia: Bolivia Bowling Federation
- Brazil: Brazilian Bowling Confederation
- Chile: Chile Bowling Federation
- Colombia: Colombia Bowling Federation
- Ecuador: Ecuador Bowling Federation
- Paraguay: Paraguay Bowling Federation
- Peru: Peruvian Bowling Federation
- Uruguay: Uruguay Bowling Association
- Venezuela: Venezuela Bowling Federation

Types of Bowling

Ten Pin Bowling
Ten pin bowling uses larger balls and taller and heavier pins than other types of bowling. Ten pin bowling balls typically have two or three finger holes

Nine Pin Bowling
Nine pin bowling uses a smaller ball then ten pin bowling and the ball does not have any finger holes. Nine pin bowling is most mostly in European countries

Five Pin Bowling
Five pin bowling is a Canadian game createde by Tommy Ryan in 1909. It is playted in every province and territory of Canada except the Nunavat Territory. Five Pin Bowling has been deemed a heritage sport by the Canadian Goernment. The pins used in five pin bowling are shorter than tenpins but taller than duckpins.

Duckpin Bowling
Duckpin bowling is a ten pin bowling sport except it uses shorter pins and a smaller ball than ten pin bowling.

Candlepin Bowling
Candlepin bowling uses the taller pins and pins with a different shape than other types of bowling. It also uses a smaller and lighter ball than other types of bowling

Target Bowling Sports
Target bowling sports are sports during which participants roll or throw a ball in order to get it as close as possible to at designated point or target ball or object. Examples of target sports: Curling and Boules Sports

Road Bowling
Includes all types of bowlign on a country road or in the street.

To Be Added:
- Arcade Bowling - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mini_boliche_buffet.jpg
- Miniature Bowling - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Miniature_bowling

Events

EVENT: IBF World Championships
WEB SITE: bowling.sport - ibf world championships | Link |

SERIES: World Bowling League
WEB SITE: worldbowlingleague.org | Link |

References

ARCHIVES:
http://askaboutsports.com/bowling.htm

WEB SITES:
bowlingmuseum.com

SHOPS:
bowlingworld.com

WIKIs:
- wikipedia.org - bowling - article
- wikipedia.org - bowling - category
- wikipedia.org - bowling by continent - category
- wikipedia.org - bowling by country - category
- wikipedia.org - bowling by type - category
- wikipedia.org - bowling competitions - category
- wikipedia.org - bowling organizations - category
- wikipedia.org - bowling related lists - category
- commons.wikimedia.org - bowling - images category