For the first time in its brief history, the United World Games for youth were held in two Austrian cities, Klagenfurt and Vienna, the capital city.

Founded in 2004 by a group of young, sports fanatic people in Austria, the UWG concept, which offers eight sports with a unique Olympic-like atmosphere and big fun potential, yet with enough time for personal and intercultural encounters even off the fields, seems to attract more and more people every year.

After two highly successful years in Klagenfurt with 1.300 athletes from 12 countries in 2005 and more than 2.500 athletes from 17 countries in 2006, the UWG organizer 'PDM Sports' decided to move to Vienna, which is by far the biggest city in Austria.

"Three of the eight sports, basketball, soccer and volleyball remained in Klagenfurt, while the five other sports baseball, swimming, tennis, wrestling and bowling were hosted in Vienna," PDM's Franziskus Bertl told Bowlingdigital.

PDM sports organized the 2007 UWG with the financial support of the governments of Austria and Vienna and the entry fee paid by the participants. "Most participants pay their own expenses or they are paid by sponsors. Everybody, who can afford it, is allowed to participate."

The number of participants increased once again. "We had 2.700 participants, 1.000 Americans and 1.700 from 18 European countries in Vienna and Klagenfurt", Bertl stated.

The UWG organizers makes the youth feel as if they are at the Olympic Games with an opening ceremony, national anthems, flags etc. This must have impressed even the UNESCO.

"We are very proud that the United World Games are an official partner of the UNESCO," Bertl said. "However the United World Games aren't sport only, but also a lot of sightseeing, socializing, action, entertainment and much more. The 'Olympic Village' was the players' hotel "Pyramide", a huge event center in the outskirts of Vienna.

PDM's partner in the United States is the "People to People" organization. According to Bertl the American participants are considered as 'sports ambassadors'. Our slogan is "One world, a 1.000 friends".

PDM hired Wolfgang Lohschmid to run the UWG bowling competition. Lohschmid, known as the tournament director of the European Bowling Tour's Vienna Open and also the inaugural Maribor Open, which will become an EBT stop in 2008, organized the event at the Brunswick Bowling Center Hernals (Posthalle).

The 32-laner has hosted numerous Austrian tournaments as well as international tournaments such as the European Seniors Championships or the European Corporative Championships in 2006. The center was totally refurbished last summer and is now a modern Brunswick US Play.

95 bowlers - 20 girls and 75 boys - from six countries participated in the three-day event. The local bowlers (22) led the European contingent, while England has sent a complete team (12). Three players came from Germany and two each from Latvia and Romania. More than 50 per cent of the bowlers, 54, came from the United States, by far the most Americans, who have ever participated in a sanctioned bowling tournament in Europe.

Though it was the first time that the United World Games were being held in Vienna, it wouldn't be the same Lohschmid that we know, if he wouldn't be a little bit disappointed that the tournament didn't reach the maximum number of 150 possible entries.

"The kids had a great time, on and off the lanes," said Lohschmid. "However, I did not expect that the number of American bowlers would exceed the number of European bowlers. It was a mistake to rely only on the European Bowling Federations.

All the European participants but the English came through private contacts." Lohschmid had informed the European Tenpin Bowling Federation member federations about the tournament, which was officially sanctioned by the ETBF, but with the exception of the British Tenpin Bowling Association, this concept failed completely.

"The American and the English teams were organized professionally with officials, coaches, official shirts and even the popular bowling pins," Lohschmid admitted. "All the other kids were practically on their own. This didn't even work for the local kids without complications. We had a complaint by some parents about the lack of support by our federation.

The Austrian Bowling Federation didn't send any officials, coaches or referees to the UWG and cited the Men's European Championships, which started at nearby Plus Bowling on the same weekend, as a reason.

However, if the English adult national team and the BTBA officials had the time to visit the UWG Singles finals to support the English youth, we cannot see any reason why the host federation or any other federation can't do this. Even if some of the participants might have been 'only compatriots' and not a member of the respective federation.

"I would like to thank the BTBA for participating with a complete team and also Chris Buck and the men's team for showing up during the tournament. This was highly appreciated and a great experience for the kids."

The picture shows Team England manager Chris Buck, center, and the English men's national team, who were in Vienna for the Men's European Championships, congratulating Matthew Forsyth, England, after his victory in the Boys 15-18 age group. BTBA president Pat White (in the foreground, on the right, from behind) also attended the finals.

It seems as if many other bowling federations only take care of their youth national squads and forget about the much larger number of youth (average) bowlers in their clubs, by the way where the national team members came and come from.

Mere three players from Germany and none from Switzerland, Austria's neighbor countries, and also none from Scandinavia, Europe's bowling powerhouse, were a very poor turnout.

"In 2008, we will handle the United World Games bowling competition as a regular tournament," Lohschmid said. "This is a sanctioned tournament for every youth bowler in the world and everybody, who wants to register and pays the entry fee will be accepted."

With more than 100 World Tenpin Bowling Association member federations, tenpin bowling should be the landslide winner of the eight UWG sports when it comes to the number of participating countries.

"We are already working to increase the maximum number of participants for 2008 as the interest in the United States is enormous," Lohschmid stated. "I would like to thank Jeri Edwards and the other U.S. coaches as well as Roberta Haffner from USBC for their support in the bowling center. They did a tremendous job.

The United States Bowling Congress has sent Edwards (pictured left), the Team USA head coach, and four silver level coaches to work with the young people and prepare them for the games. Edwards, who coached the U.S. men's team to the gold medal in the team event at the 2006 World Championships, is the sole female head coach of one of the leading bowling nations world wide. As she is also one of the friendliest persons in the business, all youth bowlers could ask her questions during the UWG.

The UWG Bowling Championships were divided into two events: Five-Player Mixed Teams and Singles, both with handicap. The Singles competition was split into two divisions - boys and girls - each with two age groups - 11-14 and 15-18 years of age.

The handicap system that based on the official average filled in by the players' federation.

Group A: Average 190 and over - 0 handicap
Group B: Average 189.9 to 175 - 5 pins per game
Group C: Average 174.9 to 160 - 10 pins per game
Group D: Average 159.9 to 145 - 15 pins per game
Group F: Average 144.9 and below - 20 pins per game

The five players forming a team were drawn on Thursday, June 28, in the bowling center. The teams could consist of players from different countries with different age and averages.

All teams bowled four 3-game series on Friday and Saturday, June 29-30, with lane change after every game (!). The team with the highest total pinfall including handicap was declared the winner. The top 3 teams consisted of players from the United States, England and Austria.

The picture shows the top 3 teams. Click on the image to enlarge it.

"Team 17" with Rebekkah Hamlet, England, Stefan Stoiber, Austria, James Giordano, David Moore and Aaron Rhoades, all United States took the gold medal with 10465 pinfall total. Rhoades rolled the highest 3-game set of all competitors with 666.

Austrians Sebastian Dohnal and Andreas Finding, American Anthony Carlson and Elliott Crosby and Rebecca Moore, England, were 159 pins behind in second place to earn the silver medal with 10306.

The bronze medal went to Lukas Christian, Austria, Andrew Sykes, England, Alexander Edwards, Nicholas Schiltgen and Joshua Thompson, all United States with 10273.

The individual total pinfall including handicap from the team event was carried forward into the Singles finals on Sunday, July 1. All players bowled another six-game block with the top 4 boys and girls in each of the two age groups advancing to the stepladder finals.

The picture shows all the finalists. Click on the image to enlarge it.

The top seeds in the girls and boys 11-14 age group, Rebekkah Hamlet and Elliott Crosby, both of England, won the title match to maintain their position and to earn the gold medal.

Hamlet won her second gold medal after the team event with a 201-141 victory over compatriot Verity Crawley. In the previous matches, Crawley topped Hannah Frost, England, 184-173, and Melanie Schmitz, Germany, 158-140.

In the boys division Crosby held of the run of Steven Wiersema from Germany, 190-172. Wiersema, the No. 4 seed, ousted Taylor Riebe, United States, 212-121, and Jake Daggett, England, 207-179, for the right to bowl Crosby for the title.

The titles in the 15-18 age groups went to Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, and Matthew Forsyth, England.

Zavjalova, a familiar face on the European Bowling Tour and currently in 24th place in the European ranking, claimed the title in the girls division.

Seeded second, Zavjalova shot the highest game of all finalist to fly past American Kathleen Johnson (168-141 winner over Rebecca Moore, England, in the opening match), 246-157 and defeated top-seeded Vicki Harman, England, in the title match, 201-162.

Forsyth, seeded fourth, came from behind and won three consecutive matches to earn the gold medal.

In a high-scoring opening match, Forsyth topped compatriot Andrew Sykes, 215-200, then eliminated Austrian youth national team member Benjamin Kubalek, 183-162 and finally topped another English player, No. 1 seed Lee Waterman, 170-158.

The 2008 United World Games will be held July 10-13, 2008. For more information please contact Wolfgang Lohschmid at Wolfgang.Lohschmid@chello.at.