World Bowls
Sports organisation
| Formation | 2001 |
|---|---|
| Type | Sports federation |
| Headquarters | Edinburgh, Scotland |
Membership | 53 members |
Official language | English |
| Darryl Clout | |
| Website | https://www.worldbowls.com/ |
World Bowls is an international sport federation of Bowls.[1][2] World Bowls is one of several bowls organisations that administer bowls around the world and is responsible for the sports premier event, the World Bowls Championship which historically was held every four years but from 2023 will take place every two years.[3]
The organisation was founded in 2001 in an attempt to unite some of the multiple bowls bodies running the sport.[4] The founding was a merger of previous organisations; the World Bowls Board and the International Women's Bowling Board.[5]
In 2019, World Bowls came to an agreement with the International Indoor Bowls Council (IIBC), formerly the WIBC. The agreement was to merge their two international indoor championships, the World Cup Singles and the IIBC Championships. The new event would be called the World Bowls Indoor Championships.[6][7] In 2021, Australian Darryl Clout was elected World Bowls President following the resignation of John Bell.[8]
Events held by World Bowls
- World Bowls Championship (outdoors), every two years
- World Singles Champion of Champions (outdoors), annually
- World Bowls Indoor Championships (indoors), annually
Rival organisations
- Professional Bowls Association (PBA), (world governing body for Professional bowls players)
- World Bowls Tour (subsidiary of the PBA, tasked with promoting indoor events including the World Indoor Bowls Championships)
- International Indoor Bowls Council (IIBC), (formerly the WIBC and controlling body for the sport of Indoor Bowls worldwide)
World Bowls members
List as of April 2022:[9]
- Africa:
Botswana (Botswana BA)
Kenya (Kenya BA)
Namibia (Namibia BA)
South Africa (Bowls South Africa)
Zambia (Zambia BA)
Zimbabwe (Bowls Zimbabwe)
- Asia:
Brunei (Brunei Darussalam LBA)
China (Chinese Multi Bowls Association)
Hong Kong (Hong Kong LBA)
India (Bowling Federation of India)
Japan (Bowls Japan)
Macau (Macao Lawn Bowls General Association)
Malaysia (Malaysia LBF)
Pakistan (Pakistan Lawn Bowls Federation)
Philippines (Philippine LBA)
Singapore (Bowls Singapore)
Sri Lanka (Lawn Bowls Federation of Sri Lanka)
Thailand (Lawn Bowls Association of Thailand)
- Oceania:
Australia (Bowls Australia)
Cook Islands (Bowls Cook Island)
Fiji (Bowls Fiji)
New Zealand (Bowls New Zealand)
Niue (Niue Lawn Bowls Association)
Norfolk Island (Norfolk Island Bowling Club & Bowls Council)
Papua New Guinea (Bowls - PNG)
Samoa (Samoan Bowling Association)
Tonga (Tonga Lawn Bowls Federation)
- Americas:
Argentina (Federacion Argentina De Bowls)
Brazil (Bowls Brazil)
Canada (Bowls Canada Boulingrin)
Falkland Islands (Falkland Islands L.B.A)
Jamaica (Jamaica Lawn Bowling Association)
United States (Bowls USA)
- Europe:
Cyprus (Bowls Cyprus)
Czech Republic (Czech Bowls Association)
England (Bowls England)
France (Federation Francaise de Lawn Bowls)
Germany (German Bowls Federation)
Guernsey (Bowls Guernsey Association)
Hungary (Bowls Hungary)
Ireland, combined (Irish Bowling Association)
Isle of Man (Bowls Isle of Man)
Israel (Israel LBA)
Jersey (Bowls Jersey)
Malta (Malta Lawn Bowls Federation)
Netherlands (Nederlandse Bowls Bond)
Portugal (Bowls Portugal)
Scotland (Bowls Scotland)
Spain (Lawn Bowls Spain)
Sweden (Swedish Bowls Federation)
Switzerland (Swiss Bowls)
Turkey (Turkish Bocce, Bowls, Bowling and Darts Federation)
Wales (Welsh Bowling Association)
- Former Members:
Eswatini (Swaziland Bowling Association)
Regions
53 Countries in 5 Zones (Updated at 12 April 2022).
| Number | Region | Countries |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Africa | 6 |
| 2 | Asia | 12 |
| 3 | Oceania | 9 |
| 4 | Americas | 6 |
| 5 | Europe | 20 |
| Total | World | 53 |
See also
References
- ^ "Welcome to World Bowls – supporting the game across the world". World Bowls. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ "About World Bowls". World Bowls. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ "Gold Coast rubber-stamped as 2023 World Bowls Championships host". Inside the Games. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ "'World game plans for united future'". The Times. 1 January 2001. p. 29. Retrieved 13 April 2022 – via The Times Digital Archive.
- ^ "'Administrators lean towards unification". The Times. 13 April 2001. p. 35. Retrieved 13 April 2022 – via The Times Digital Archive.
- ^ "Preview a new World Championship" (PDF). Bristol Indoor Bowls. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- ^ "World Bowls Indoor Championships". World Bowls. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- ^ "AUSTRALIA'S DARRYL CLOUT ELECTED WORLD BOWLS PRESIDENT". Bowls Australia. 19 July 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ "Member Nations". World Bowls. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
