IN THE N E W S SPONSORED BY facebook.com/ BowlsSouthAfrica ISSUE 90 YOUR SOURCE FOR BOWLING WORLDWIDE INFORMATION i n c r e a s e d f r e q u e n c y o f t h e Wo r l d WORLD BOWLS’ PLAN TO Championships, World Bowls feels regional events provide another great opportunity to gain posive exposure for our sport around the SPUR AFRICAN NATIONS’ world. For the World Singles Champion of Champions, It is also felt they should be a valuable element in World Bowls indicates this annual event is STRENGTH introducing emerging naons to internaonal recognised as having a wide appeal to the global compeon and for them to benefit from the compeve player with a disnct place on the interacon with larger ones. calendar, not designed to be part of naonal elite/high performance pathways. Improving performance along with the ancipated increase in interest and ambion The sets format will be retained, the number of from the smaller naons can only smulate the secons subject to ongoing review subject to development of bowls. level of confirmed entries. It is recommended, therefore, regional events in World Bowls will connue to cover competors’ Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania accommodaons costs, however, this requires to be smulated and enjoy enhanced World Bowls be subject to ongoing review. But greater status, becoming a vital part of the overall World emphasis is required on requesng/encouraging The Atlanc Championships and Asia Pacific Bowls framework of internaonal events. It is increased contribuons/support towards Championships, previously used as qualifying recommended views be sought from relevant a c c o m m o d a o n c o s t s / p r o v i s i o n o f events for the four-yearly World Championships, interests on how enhanced status can be accommodaon in future tender documents for are to be terminated; the World Bowls effecvely achieved. Championships will be held every two years in the this event. odd years from 2023. Exisng events such as the European (The only other opon is to require entering Championships, Asian Championships and These and other recommendaons were MNAs or their competors to make a African States Tournament are already in place. approved by the board of directors at a World contribuon, but World Bowls consider overall World Bowls recommends establishment of an Bowls board meeng held in April. that would have a detrimental effect on entries - Oceania Championships, and a Pan American especially from smaller, less well-resourced event be acvely progressed. Men’s and Women’s World Bowls Championships MNAs). will connue to be played concurrently and The relevant regional controlling body of these championships will be open to all member World Bowls & IIBC indoor events: Under 25s & events will be encouraged to review the formats naons. World Bowls Indoor Championships, have been at the events and to experiment with innovave well received and World Bowls is honour bound features such as during-play substuons or Singles, pairs, triples and fours disciplines will be to hold these annual events for the foreseeable rotaon of players within teams during games played in the exisng regular format, with secons future. From 2022, eligibility to enter for naons etc. in each discipline subject to final level of with separate indoor and outdoor naonal confirmed entries and naons seeded into on the authories will be restricted to the naonal Also recommended is the board consider inial basis of finishing posion in each discipline at the indoor authories only. financial support for each regional events to previous championships. enable them to achieve the level of compeon, World Bowls Outdoor Junior/Youth event: It is Unseeded entries will be drawn to make up status and exposure expected from them. recommended a World Junior/Youth team event secons in an equitable random manner - be established on a four-yearly basis to be held in Open events: It was idenfied during the consideraon to be given to drawing from the even-numbered year which is not a meengs discussions that opportunies be different pots, such as separate pots for full Commonwealth Games year. Entry eligibility to progressed for certain MNAs or group of MNAs members and development/associate members. mirror the biennial World Bowls Championships. to establish ‘open’ events similar to the Australian Open or US Open, leading to a future Condions of play will include me limits to mirror Regional internaonal events: Building on the ‘Grand Slam’ circuit of ‘open’ events. condions of play for the next appropriate Commonwealth Games, but some flexibility may be required in relaon to me limit, dependent on playing surface speeds. The introducon of para disciplines at earliest opportunity; para disciplines to mirror those for the Commonwealth Games. World Bowls suggests naonal teams be encouraged to use team-coloured bowls and that the hosng of the championships rotate between regions. Test matches: The number of Tests played internaonal events. between member naons has been seen to Ÿ World Bowls to invesgate the feasibility of decline in recent years, again reducing establishing a World Bowls event for seniors opportunies to develop naonal squads, suggested to be held on a two-yearly basis in promote and market the sport. MNAs need to be the even-numbered years from 2024. encouraged in this regard. These, plus previously detailed World Bowls Challenge/Australian BPL Style recommendaons would then produce a four- Event: The inaugural World Bowls Challenge was a yearly cycle of events as follows: Year 1 (2023) great success – especially for those able to access World Bowls Championships; Year 2 (2024) live-streaming and broadcasng. However, it was World Bowls Junior/Youth Outdoor evident from discussions its global reach and Championships, World Bowls Seniors aracveness was disappoinng. World Bowls will fully support Bowls Australia's Championships; Year 3 (2025) World Bowls lobbying for bowls' inclusion. Championships; Year 4 (2026 same year as While there was some indicaon of lack of Commonwealth Games)-World Bowls Seniors Equally, MNAs should be encouraged to connue awareness regarding the Australian BPL event, Championships general comments were it is an event seen to have to support the lobbying process via their own a short sharp format, and aracve, excing, naonal Olympic commiees/naonal sports inclusion of senior age disciplines in colourful and very popular to broadcasters and authories. internaonal events: The World Bowls Media & the media. Communicaons Commiee to consider Other recommendaons: World Bowls will discussion points arising from the meengs in engage with major bowls organisaons and As such, many expressed the opinion they would relaon to events informaon and promoon encourage MNAs to be encouraged to start to love to see something like it played in their naon on the World Bowls website and social media change the exisng culture of the sport as to increase profile and promoon of bowls to a plaorms and present recommendaons for experienced at club level to appeal not just to wider public. The recommendaon is to consideraon by the Board & CEO. encourage MNAs to establish such events. Again current players, but to appeal to and aract a this could ulmately lead to a credible 'World much wider market of potenal parcipants. Strengthening World Bowls branding: Progress Tour' of such events aracve to competors, the desire to establish global broadcasng In this respect World Bowls encourages: playing and non-playing public, broadcasters, arrangements through established partnerships Ÿ Maintain equality of medal winning other media, sponsors, spectators etc. and contacts. The inclusion of a 'colourful' lead opportunies for men and women in all presenter of broadcast events supported by an World Bowls events and ensure the same Olympic Games/Paralympics: World Bowls to expert summariser is considered most applies to all relevant regional internaonal connue to progress IOC/IPC recognion. With desirable. events. the announcement Brisbane is preferred host for Edited by Alan Simmonds Ÿ Support the inclusion of Para disciplines in the 2032 Olympic Games/Paralympic Games, Media Officer, Bowls SA World Bowls is to throw its considerable punch cricketers. behind the bid for Brisbane – see lead arcle this OLYMPIC 'Introducing sports familiar to the host naon newsleer (Editor) will be crical to engaging fans, and we've seen BOWLS COULD The news has raised interest among several other that for this year's Olympics in Tokyo with the codes as they jockey for a spot in probably the addions of sports more familiar to the ROLL IN 2032 planet’s biggest sporng event. Japanese audience.' Bowls is sll a heavily Commonwealth-based An Internaonal Cricket Council (ICC) source, sport, but is growing fast in China, Malaysia and speaking on the condion of anonymity as they Hong Kong, while it proved a drawcard during the were not authorised to comment publicly on the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast organisaon's posion, said the governing body with Broadbeach Bowls Club turning into a had Olympic ambions. vibrant locaon. They said that the ICC was not yet ready nor 'As a host country, bowls is intrinsic to Australian commied to making a formal bid to join the society and the bonus is that our facilies are Olympics, so instead they would be relying on exceponal, especially in Queensland. For the organisers for the 2028 Los Angeles Games or Paralympics, bowls as a sport already is modified the potenal 2032 Brisbane Games making the The age-old conundrum: Should bowls be part of to easily allow play,' says Bowls Australia chief sport a host city pick. the Olympic Games, has been bandied execuve Neil Dalrymple. He is convinced his Cricket was played at the 1900 Olympics in Paris, relentlessly.