Entries have been received from adult bowlers from every State and Territory of Australia and, for the first time, Teams from North Queensland and New Zealand will line up in one of the highlight events of the Nationals – the Rachuig Trophy Interstate Teams tournament.

The Nationals are staged by the sport’s governing body, Tenpin Bowling Australia Limited (TBA), in association with volunteers from the North Queensland region. Kirwan Tenpin and Squash and Currajong Super Bowl will host this year’s National Championships and The City of Thuringowa will play a leading role in supporting the three-week event.

“There is always keen competition from capital and regional cities throughout Australia to host our sport’s National Championships” said TBA CEO, Alex Popov today. “As well as the prestige and considerable economic impact a host city will enjoy, there is also a significant increase in awareness of the sport’s benefits to the community at large” he explained.

“The size and scope of our Nationals invariably means more than one Bowling Centre is utilised for the Championships and we were very fortunate that the two Centres in the Thuringowa/Townsville area were keen to co-operate with us in providing excellent venues and experienced staff to augment the demanding range of tasks shouldered by our loyal volunteers,” he continued.

“The initial enthusiasm of the local proprietors, combined with the support of Townsville Enterprise in submitting a very professional bid to the TBA Board in June last year resulted in the decision to bring the Adult Nationals to back to North Queensland, after a lapse of more than fifteen years. “We are confident with the tremendous support of local businesses and, of course, the City Councils of Thuringowa and Townsville, that this year’s Championships will really be momentous” he added.

Highlight events of the Nationals will include the Rachuig Trophy tournament, a prestigious State Teams challenge, and the Walter de Veer Memorial tournament, a handicapped Teams event introduced in 1996 and now firmly established as an annual event.

Reflecting TBA’s focus on developing and promoting the sport, this year’s Nationals will include some changes to the timing and presentation of events, designed to encourage participation to a broad base of bowlers of all ages and skill levels.

TBA’s Tournament team is already working hard organising sufficient squads to cater for the large number of entries that are rolling in. Bowling in Teams, Doubles and Singles events begins on Saturday, 18 October and TBA is especially keen to encourage local participation from the North Queensland region to this year’s event. “The Nationals are an integral part of our tournament calendar year, enabling bowlers of every level to compete in our sport” said TBA Chairperson, June Voukolos.

Training courses and Forums for bowlers, officials and TBA’s network of volunteer State and Regional Managers will augment the hectic schedule of bowling. “The Nationals are actually an umbrella event – showcasing the widespread appeal of tenpin bowling” added Ms. Voukolos.

The bowling program includes numerous events including the City of Townsville Seniors Intercentre Cup, open to three-person teams of bowlers 50 years and over, and the Classic and Restricted Cups, events with qualifying based on a 3-game Singles score.

The Nationals also incorporates the Australian Open Masters event, to be held on Wednesday, 5 November. The event is open to all adult TBA-affiliated bowlers with qualifying based on the highest three-game Singles series bowled during the Championships. Winner of the Men’s and Women’s Masters will win the Champion’s Trophy, medallion, commemorative shirt and a substantial cash prize.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics consistently ranks tenpin bowling in the country’s top ten participation sports and surveys confirm the sport is enjoying a strong resurgence of popularity. Participants and spectators are welcome throughout the entire three weeks of the Nationals to enjoy the activity and fun or simply to witness the skill, challenge and camaraderie of tenpin bowling.

The official Entry Form is available at Bowling Centres around Australia and can also be downloaded from TBA’s official website…www.tenpin.org.au.