LONDON: The Saudi Arabia men and women’s bowling teams landed in Cairo confident they could make their mark on the Arab Bowling Championship which starts today.
The men’s outfit head into the competition on the back of international success last year. Abdulrahman Alkhelawi is one of the stars looking to build on an impressive 2018, having shot up to third in the rankings after his success in the World Youth Championship last year.
The team also includes Hassan Al-Alsheikh — who delivered gold and bronze in the trio event at the eighth Arab Bowling Championship held in Oman — and Ammar Tirad, who was ranked first in the Hong Kong Open Bowling Championship.
Bader Al-Alsheikh, president of the Saudi Arabia Bowling Federation (SBF), is hopeful that the team can make more strides this week.
“The team underwent a training camp in Riyadh before going to the Universal Bowling Center in Riyadh in preparation for this competition,” he said. “They have been supervised by a professional technical team to ensure they give their best. I wish the team all the best in their competition.”
For the women’s side the tournament will offer another stepping stone and provide a good exposure of top-class bowling, as it is still very inexperienced at the international level. Not only that, but it should act as yet another boost to female participation in the sport.
“The women’s team has inspired many new fans already,” said Dr. Razan Baker, SBF board member and supervisor of the women’s team.
“We never knew how many women loved bowling until the SBF kicked off the three women bowling tournaments last October and women of all ages started showing up. They are setting an example and hopefully inspiring many more to love the game and excel in it.”