The 2012 QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup will be held from Nov. 24 to Dec. 2 at Sky Bowling Center in Wroclaw, Poland (pronounced Vrots-waf; also known as Breslau). The 24-laner is part of a larger complex within Fitness Academy Group located inside Sky Tower.

155 players from 87 countries - 86 men and 69 women - have registered for the 48th edition of the event. It marks the first time since its inception in 1965 in Dublin, Ireland that the BWC visits Poland.

Two-time defending women's champion Aumi Guerra (pictured right with 2011 men's champion Jason Belmonte) of the Dominican Republic targets to become the first player in BWC history to win the title in three consecutive years.

Guerra became the fourth woman after Jeanette Baker, Australia (1982, 83), Pauline Smith, England (1981, 93) and Shannon Pluhowsky, United States (2002, '04), who won multiple World Cup titles. Guerra and Baker are the only players, who have successfully defended their title.

Among the favorites in the women's division are two-time world champion and 2007 BWC champion Ann-Maree Putney (left) of Australia; World Games and European Championships Masters gold medalist Krista Pöllänen (right) of Finland; Asian Singles Champion Sin Li Jane of Malaysia; two-time European Champion Rebecka Larsen of Sweden; and World Championships silver and bronze medalist Shayna Ng of Singapore.

Legendary Paeng Nepomuceno (pictured left) of the Philippines, who won four World Cup titles in three decades (1976, 80, 92 and 96), and 2005 and 2010 champion Michael Schmidt (right) of Canada are the only men with multiple titles.

While Paeng will not compete in Wroclaw, Schmidt will be making his fourth consecutive appearance and the seventh in eight years. Schmidt, who also finished second (2009), third (2006) and fourth (2007), targets win his third title after a 13th place low finish last year.

Among Schmidt's rivals for the 2012 title are PBA champion and long-time Colombian national team member Andres Gomez (left); European Champion in Masters and All Events Mads Sandbækken (right) of Norway; Asian Champion Syafiq Ridhwan of Malaysia; Qatar's Mubarak Al-Muraikhi, the 2011 Arab Games Masters champion; 2012 European Champions Cup winner James Gruffman of Sweden; and Marshall Kent of the United States, who won his first title on the European Bowling Tour this season.

Defending champion, PBA star Jason Belmonte of Australia, did not qualify for the event.

All players will bowl 20 games of qualifying over four days beginning Monday, Nov. 26. The men's and women's field will then be cut to the top 24 for eight additional games on Friday, Nov. 30.

The top eight men and the top 8 women after 28 games advance to eight games round robin match play Saturday morning, Dec. 1, where the field will be paired down to the top three for the stepladder finals starting at 1 p.m. CET (7 a.m. EST).

 

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48th QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup - Participating Countries and Players

Subject to change

1. Argentina - Horacio Bustos / Lucrecia Lopez
2. Australia - Benjamin Coupland / Ann-Maree Putney
3. Austria - Benjamin Kubalek / none
4. Azerbaijan - Elkhan Feyzullayev / Viola Zharko
5. Azores - Marcio Jesus / Lara Jesus
6. Belarus - Siarhei Tazin / Aksana Sinitsa
7. Belgium - Jimmy Ravez / Katrien Goossens
8. Brazil - Claudio Goto / Alvarina de Suartz
9. Bulgaria - Kaloyan Ivanov / Marina Stefanova
10. Canada - Michael Schmidt / Felicia Wong
11. Catalonia - Moises Perez Ibanez / Noelia Ratrero Medina
12. Chile - Adrian Reyes / Constanza Bahamondez
13. Colombia - Andres Gomez / none
14. Costa Rica - Andres Valverde / Viviana Delgado
15. Croatia - Mise Mrkonjic / Ivana Krajacic
16. Cyprus - Andreas Christoforou / Myria Kastori
17. Czech Republic - Jiri Hindrak / Blanka Hanusikova
18. Dominican Republic - Rolando Antonio Sebelén / Aumi Guerra
19. Egypt - Mohamed El-Serafy / Menatallah Ahmed Hassan Sultan
20. El Salvador - none / Edith Quintanilla
21. England - Matt Chamberlain / Kirsten Penny
22. Estonia - Kert Truus / Terje Roosi
23. Ethiopia - Fekadu Asrat / Rita Defranco
24. Finland - Jarmo Ahokas / Krista Pöllänen
25. France - Thierry Sacco / Wendy Bartaire
26. French Guiana - Steeve Calumey / none
27. Germany - Pascal Winternheimer / Janine Gabel
28. Gibraltar - Adam Shrubb / none
29. Greece - Leonidas Maragkos / Martha Karatzoula
30. Guernsey - Garry Hale / none
31. Hong Kong - Joshua Chow / none
32. Hungary - Gyorgy Bodis / Nora Szabo
33. Iceland - Magnus Magnusson / Gudny Gunnarsdottir
34. India - Dhruv Sarda / none
35. Iran - Seyed Hamidreza Seyed Azizollah / Sara Ataei Kajouei
36. Iraq - Maher Aneed / none
37. Ireland - Simon English / Aimee Kellegher
38. Israel - Nati Volfart / Tali Yitzhk
39. Italy - Amedeo Spada / Helga Di Benedetto
40. Japan - Takashi Taniai / Yuka Ooshima
41. Jersey - Nathan Jarvis / none
42. Jordan - Ammar Yamin / Manal Al Hijjawi
43. Kazakhstan - Yuriy Sazonov / Yelena Grishinenko
44. Kosovo - Besim Pushka / none 45. Kyrgyzstan - Kim Valery / Indira Akmatova
46. Latvia - Arturs Levikins / Baiba Baltmane
47. Libya - Redha El Fezzani / none
48. Lithuania - Kestutis Gudauskas / Violeta Ona Musteikiene
49. Macau - Derek Lee / Julia Lam
50. Malaysia - Syafiq Ridhwan / Sin Li Jane
51. Mauritius - Steeve Thia / Nasheeha King
52. Mexico - Fabian Lopez / Lilia Robles
53. Moldova - Nikolay Babyuk / none
54. Mongolia - Bayarkhuu Sambuu / Ulziikhorol Khalzan
55. Netherlands - Michell Stinissen / Daniëlle van der Meer
56. New Caledonia - Marin Tranier / Samy-Anna Saba
57. New Zealand - James Kelly / Melonie Lister
58. Northern Ireland - Tony O'Hare / Caroline Horan
59. Norway - Mads Sandbækken / Heidi Thorstensen
60. Oman - Ghalib Albusaidi / none
61. Peru - Adolfo Vargas / none
62. Philippines - Rowen Jay Bautista / Krizziah Lyn Tabora
63. Poland - Pawel Bielski / Joanna Merklejn
64. Portugal - Paulo Lopes / Ana Vierira
65. Qatar - Mubarak Al-Muraikhi / none
66. Reunion - Stephane Severin / Virginie Merlo
67. Romania - Arpad Vass / Alina Orlanda
68. Russia - Sergey Andreev / Alena Korobkova
69. Saudi Arabia - Mohammed Al-Najrani / none
70. Scotland - Steven Gill / Holly Fleming
71. Serbia - Vladimir Majeski / Dragana Petrovic
72. Singapore - Keith Saw / Shayna Ng
73. Slovakia - Martin Slavkovský / Alena Baluchova
74. Slovenia - Josko Hlede / Anja Musar Kalan
75. South Africa - Guy Caminsky / Angie Hartley
76. Spain - Francisco Rodriguez / Cristina Mas Lazaro
77. Sweden - James Gruffman / Rebecka Larsen
78. Switzerland - Mathieu Bergès / Joelle Company
79. Thailand - Phoemphun Yakasem / none
80. Tunisia - Khaled Meziou / Hela Meziou
81. Turkey - Taygun Erkeskin / Adile Sevgi Michajlow
82. UAE - Hareb Al-Mansoori / none
83. Ukraine - Mykhaylo Kalika / Olena Mishchenko
84. United States - Marshall Kent / Danielle McEwan
85. Uzbekistan - Bekzod Tukhtaniyazov / Svetlana Klimoyts
86. Venezuela - Giorgio Clinaz / Patricia de Faria
87. Wales - Lyndon Walters / Lynne Walker

 

48th QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup - Schedule of Events

Sky Bowling Center in Wroclaw, Poland (Nov. 24 - Dec. 2, 2012)

Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012
Arrival of Competitors; Acclimatization and Unofficial Practice; Ball Control

Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012 - Official Practice
07:45 - 08:45 Men Group 1
08:45 - 09:30 Lane Maintenance
09:30 - 10:30 Men Group 2
10:30 - 11:15 Lane Maintenance
11:15 - 12:15 Men Group 3
12:15 - 13:00 Lane Maintenance
13:00 - 14:00 Women Group 1
14:00 - 14:45 Lane Maintenance
14:45 - 15:45 Women Group 2
15:45 - 16:30 Lane Maintenance
16:30 - 17:30 Women Group 3
19:00 Opening Ceremony & Welcome Reception

Monday, Nov. 26, 2012 - First block of five games
08:00 - 10:15 Men Squad A
10:15 - 11:00 Lane Maintenance
11:00 - 13:45 Women Squad A
13:45 - 14:30 Lane Maintenance
14:30 - 16:45 Men Squad B
16:45 - 17:30 Lane Maintenance
17:30 - 20:15 Women Squad B
20:15 - 21:00 Lane Maintenance
21:00 - 23:15 Men Squad C

Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012 - Second block of five games
08:00 - 10:15 Men Squad B
10:15 - 11:00 Lane Maintenance
11:00 - 13:45 Women Squad B
13:45 - 14:30 Lane Maintenance
14:30 - 16:45 Men Squad C
16:45 - 17:30 Lane Maintenance
17:30 - 20:15 Women Squad A
20:15 - 21:00 Lane Maintenance
21:00 - 23:15 Men Squad A

Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012 - Third block of five games
08:00 - 10:15 Men Squad C
10:15 - 11:00 Lane Maintenance
11:00 - 13:45 Women Squad A
13:45 - 14:30 Lane Maintenance
14:30 - 16:45 Men Squad A
16:45 - 17:30 Lane Maintenance
17:30 - 20:15 Women Squad B
20:15 - 21:00 Lane Maintenance
21:00 - 23:15 Men Squad B

Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012 - Fourth block of five games
08:00 - 10:45 Women Squad A
10:45 - 11:30 Lane Maintenance
11:30 - 14:15 Women Squad B
Cut to Top 24 Women
14:15 - 15:00 Lane Maintenance
15:00 - 17:15 Men Squad A
17:15 - 18:00 Lane Maintenance
18:00 - 20:15 Men Squad B
20:15 - 21:00 Lane Maintenance
21:00 - 23:15 Men Squad C
Cut to Top 24 Men

Friday, Nov. 30, 2012
08:00 - 12:30 Women Top 24 - 8 Games
Cut to Top 8 Women
12:30 - 13:15 Lane Maintenance
13:15 - 17:45 Men Top 24 - 8 Games
Cut to Top 8 Men

Saturday, Nov. 1, 2012
08:00 - 11:00 Men and Women Top 8 - 8 games Round Robin with bonus points
Cut to Top 3 Men and Top 3 Women
13:00 Men's and Women's Semifinals & Finals
Presentation of Trophies
20:00 Victory Banquet

Sunday, Nov. 2, 2012
Departure

Please note: This is a tentative schedule and is subject to change. The arrival date (No. 24) and departure date (Dec. 2) are valid and must be adhered to when making travel arrangements for national representatives.