2009 Melaka, Malaysia

Already, with still several months to go to the 45th QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup in Melaka, Malaysia, we are assured of welcoming back players who have shone in the past. And fans around the world with internet access will now be able to follow any player’s scoring in real time.

First, Michael Schmidt of Canada, our champion in 2005 in Ljubljana (Slovenia), will be returning. Michael also reached the top three in 2006 in Caracas (Venezuela).

Next we will welcome Norway’s Petter Hansen, runner up twice: in Singapore in 2004 and Caracas in 2006.

And finally, Sweden will be represented by Martin Larsson who took second place last year in Hermosillo (Mexico), in a very exciting final against Derek Eoff of the USA.

Live scoring will be an innovation for this year. Access to individual’s scores, frame by frame as they are bowled, will be available through the QubicaAMF web site. Fans will be able to keep up with progress by clicking on the individual’s biography page, then onto the live scoring in real time when that competitor is on the lanes. Further information will be made available nearer the time.

“This promises to be an outstanding event,” commented Anne-Marie Board, QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup manager. “With three such wonderful players already on the start list, we know the competition is going to be as hot as ever.

“The innovation of real time scoring over the internet this year will mean that friends, family and fans around the world will be able to follow any individual’s scoring as it happens and I’m sure this will be a really popular addition to our services to the bowling community,” she added.

Belgium’s Katrien Goossens will be making her second appearance in the Bowling World Cup having made the quarter-finals last year. Kazakhstan’s players will both be returning to the Bowling World Cup: Irina Lazaridi made her first appearance in 2008 in St Petersburg, while Makhmut Iskhakov will be competing for the third time having played in Ljubljana in 2005 and in Caracas in 2006. Another ‘old friend’ to be welcomed back will be Kevin Horton of Northern Ireland who last played five years ago in Singapore.

So far over 80 countries have indicated that they will be sending competitors including newcomers Mongolia, Pakistan and Nigeria.

The 52-lane Melaka International Bowling Centre is now completed and the grand opening ceremony will take place on August 1st.  The centre is expected to host local tournaments before the BWC gets under way in mid-November.

In addition to the players we will be welcoming the winner of the superb N-gage AMF Bowling Pinbusters! competition. AMF Bowling Pinbusters! on N-Gage features Point Pickups, allowing users to collect N-Gage points and track high scores.  Players will have the ability to post their scores to a leader board as well as track their personal bests on their devices. N-Gage Players who participate in the contest may simply upload their bowling average to the N-Gage Arena from the FULL version of the N-Gage game, and the player with the best average by the end of July will receive the grand trip prize – an all-expenses paid trip to the tournament in Melaka.