As the final squad of singles came to a close Thursday at the 2007 World Tenpin Bowling Association Women's World Championships, Team USA's
Shannon O'Keefe (pictured) of Rochester, N.Y., sat nervously waiting in the stands to hear if she would hold on to win the gold medal. When the dust settled after the final squad, it turned out O'Keefe didn't have much to worry about after all. The three medalists all competed on the third singles squad. Joining O'Keefe on the medal stand is
Ann-Maree Putney of Australia, who took silver with 1,336, and Malaysia's
Wendy Chai, who earned bronze with 1,302.
The Thai Tenpin Bowling Association (TTBA) will host the second Men's World Championship from August 21-31, 2008 at SF Strike Bowl Ngamwongwan. The 42-laner with AMF equipment is located on the 7th Floor of a shopping center in Nonthaburi, approx. 30 minutes away from down town Bangkok. As of today, 329 players from 57 countries will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals in six disciplines: Singles, Doubles, Trios, 5-player Team, All Events and Masters. Bowlingdigital will cover the event live from from Nonthaburi. 
Two years after helping lead the United States to its first men's team gold medal at the World Championships since 1971, Bill Hoffman of Columbus, Ohio, remembers it as if it was yesterday. Rolling a 300 in the second-to-last game does wonders for long-term memories. "That's the biggest highlight of my career," said Hoffman, a nine-year veteran of Team USA. "It really helped put the program where it needed to be - on top of the world. It's something our new team members can take pride in." Those "new" team members happen to be some of the best professional bowlers in the world. 
It will be an experienced team that will represent Canada at next week's men's world tenpin bowling championships in Thailand. Nine-time Team Canada member George Lambert IV, of Hamilton and seven-time Team Canada member Joe Ciach (pictured) of Mississauga will lead the Canadian contingent that will take on the best bowlers from 56 countries from August 21-31 in Bangkok. The competition, involving more than 300 players, will be held SF Strike Bowl, a 42-lane center in Ngamwongwan, 30 minutes away from downtown Bangkok.
Arguably the greatest rookie season in the history of the Denny's Professional Bowlers Association Tour almost never happened. Rhino Page of Topeka, KS, would likely still be an amateur this day if professionals still were ineligible to bowl in international competition. And he was OK with that. Fortunately for Page, he didn't have to play the "What if?" game as he'll continue his successful Team USA career at the upcoming World Tenpin Bowling Association Men's World Championships, scheduled for Aug. 22-30 in Bangkok, Thailand.
When Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, S.C., goes into battle with Team USA at the upcoming World Tenpin Bowling Association Men's World Championships, scheduled for Aug. 22-30 in Bangkok, Thailand, he knows one thing for sure. "None of us like to lose," said Jones, who is one of five professional bowlers representing Team USA. "Anytime we bowl anything, we want to win ... especially when you put those colors on. There will be a lot of people gunning for us. We just have to go over there, do our part and feed off each other. It will happen."
Even though he feels he gets more credit than deserved, Patrick Allen (left) helped mentor fellow left-hander Rhino Page (right) to arguably one of the best rookie seasons in the history of professional bowling. Now Allen, a 10-time winner on the Denny's Professional Bowlers Association Tour, will have the chance to look to Page for tips and advice as he prepares to make his Team USA debut at the upcoming World Tenpin Bowling Association Men's World Championships, scheduled for Aug. 22-30 in Bangkok, Thailand.
When he said goodbye to his tenure on Team USA in 1998 for life as a professional bowler, Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, wasn't sure if he would be able to represent his country on the world stage ever again. "I didn't think professionals would be allowed to compete without the Olympics attached to it," said Barnes, a member of Team USA from 1994 to 1998. Barnes, the reigning Denny's PBA Tour Player of the Year, is back on Team USA and will once again represent the United States at the upcoming WTBA Men's World Championships, scheduled for Aug. 22-30 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Bahrain will field six of its top national bowlers in the World Men's Championships in Nonthaburi, Thailand, later this month. The competition is sanctioned by the World Tenpin Bowling Association and Asian Bowling Federation. The kingdom's line-up of participants was confirmed yesterday by the Bahrain Bowling Association (BBA). They include a blend of young and veteran talents, namely Osama Khalfan, Ahmed Rahimi, Mohammed Janahi, Mohammed Sultan, Ahmed Al Bastaki, and Hameed Taqi. The kingdom is one of 56 nations taking part, which will feature close to 350 bowlers in all. 
With a career record 44 Professional Bowlers Association titles and being regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in history, it's hard to believe the trophy case of the legendary Walter Ray Williams Jr. still has a missing piece. "A gold medal at the World Championships would be cool," said Williams of Ocala, Fla. "It would definitely be one of the highlights of my career." Williams, a PBA and United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer, will have the chance to fill that void when he makes his Team USA debut at the upcoming WTBA Men's World Championships scheduled for Aug. 22-30 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Hans Karlsson, press officer of the Swedish Bowling Federation reports that multiple World and European champion Tomas Leandersson (l.) and American globetrotter Tim Mack will be on the Swedish national team for the 2008 Men's World Championships. The Swedish Bowling Federation's elite committee convinced Leandersson, actually the head coach, to lace up his bowling shoes once again for the men's Worlds. SBF also announced that Mack will serve as assistant coach during the championships. 
The Presidium of the World Tenpin Bowling Association has decided at its meeting in Kuwait on April 26 that the Women's World Championships 2009 will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States from July 26 to August 2, 2009. The WTBA had to change dates and the venue as Australia withdrew as host two moths ago. The 2009 WWC will be staged in a 56-lane bowling arena. The WTBA presidium has also announced several rules changes which become effective immediately. 
The Israeli Bowling Federation has named the six players to represent Israel in the Men's World Championship at SF Strike Bowl Ngamwongwan in Nonthaburi, Thailand from August 20-31, 2008. "The interesting matter is that for the first time we have the pleasure to have an Arabic player in the Israeli National Team," said IBF president Arie Fisher. All Players had to bowl 40 games (5 x 8) on short and long oil lane condition. 
Tenpin Bowling Australia Ltd. (TBA) has informed the World Tenpin Bowling Association (WTBA) last week that the organization has to withdraw as host of the Women's World Championships and the WTBA Congress 2009. According to Gillian Thompson-Rogers, CEO TBA, "Given the significant financial contribution required to host such an event we must at this stage regretfully decline the opportunity”. 
10-time Team USA member Diandra Asbaty (left) won her second World Championship Masters title after 2003 when she defeated Jazreel Tan from Singapore, three-games-to-two to end the Women's World Championships at Bol Obispado in Monterrey, Mexico. Tan had to settle for the silver medal. Tennelle Milligan, United States and Kim Yeau Jin, Korea, who were eliminated in the semi-finals, shared the bronze medal. 
2003 Masters champion Diandra Asbaty, United States, ousted All Events champion and No. 1 seed, Choi Jin A, Korea, three-games-to-one, Friday in the Quarterfinal at Bol Obispado in Monterrey, Mexico. Asbaty bowled four games over 200 and was only defeated in game #3, when the Korean fired a 279 game. She will meet her teammate Tennelle Milligan in the first semi-final, while #7 Jazreel Tan, Singapore and #11 Kim Yeau Jin, Korea, will decide the other finalist. 
Team USA's Tennelle Milligan was the sole player in the first round of the Masters finals at the Women's World Championships in Mexico, who swept her opponent to advance to the quarterfinals at Bol Obispado in Monterrey. The All Events silver medalist, seeded second, defeated Trios champion Malin Glendert, Sweden, three-game-to-none in the single-elimination best-of-five match play format. 
The national women bowlers did not change their new bowling pants for three days but it was worth it when they emerged as the world's best team on Wednesday in Monterrey, Mexico. Said anchor Shalin Zulkifli, who spearheaded the team to beat the United States by seven pins for the team gold at the women's World Championships: "We wore the same pants – only the pants – for three days. We were doing well since the trios' second block and did not want to change the feng shui. Call that superstitious or what!"
Trailing the leaders by nearly 230 pins heading into the final Round of team event, Team USA made a furious comeback Wednesday and settled for the silver medal at the 2007 WTBA Women's World Championships. The United States nearly snagged the gold, but Malaysia's Shalin Zulkifli converted the 4 pin in the final frame to lock up a narrow seven-pin victory and earn the gold medal. Malaysia finished the six-game event with 6,323, an average of 210.7 per game, while Team USA ended with 6,316. England took bronze with 6,197.