Belfast Selected to Host IV CTBC
26th February 2008
The declaration of the host nation for this year’s Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championship has been eagerly awaited. CTBF President, Julian Pace-Bonello announced the successful bid by one of the Commonwealth Federation’s smallest and most energetic federation members – the Northern Ireland Tenpin Bowling Federation.
Following the inaugural Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championship held in Stirling, Scotland in 2002 an association of national Federations representing numerous Commonwealth countries was formed with the specific goal of staging biennial Commonwealth Championships that will ultimately meld into the official Commonwealth Games program. Since then, two further Championships have been staged in Paphos, Cyprus and Melbourne, Australia.
With the generous patronage of Belfast City Council, the IV Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championship will be staged from 24-30 November 2008 at Belfast’s Dundonald International Ice Bowl, host centre of the famous AMF Bowling World Cup in 1996. Comprising 30 QubicaAMF equipped lanes, pins and lane-oiling technology, the host centre is situated in the Castlereagh Council district, close to the centre of the vibrant northern metropolis of Belfast which is home to nearly half a million people.
Growing from a tiny 17th century village, Belfast was the engine-room that drove the whirring wheels of the industrial revolution in Ulster and the development of industries such as linen, rope-making and shipbuilding doubled the size of the town every ten years. Today, the city and the riverfront are again being transformed and much of the city centre is now pleasantly pedestrianised with benches to sit and listen to street musicians. People come to Belfast to enjoy the great restaurants, nightlife, the shopping and the city’s strong cultural and artistic life.
Bowlers, officials and supporters throughout the Commonwealth will be invited to Belfast to participate in this year’s event and the IV Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championship is expected to attract teams from up to 20 Commonwealth nations.