FIJI Lawn Bowling Association joins their counterparts around the world in embracing the good news that bowling could soon be accepted as an Olympic sport.
There is a bid by World Bowls – the governing body of the sport globally, to include the sport in the Olympics.
David Allen, World Bowls’ public relations officer reported that a meeting last week in Lausanne, Switzerland at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters, between senior officials and the world leadership of lawn bowls, saw a hearty welcome, and much positive and respectful reaction to the quality of World Bowls’ application.
“Last year a pathway for lawn bowls to achieve official IOC recognition arose when a number of participating member nations was formalised to be in excess of fifty —— a minimum requisite criteria,” he said.
Leading the World Bowls executive delegation was president John Bell and chief executive officer Gary Smith, who, as part of the recently lodged ‘Lawn Bowls application for IOC recognition’ bid, met Mike Joyce, IOC co-ordination des sports manager; and two representatives from SportsAccord, Philippe Gueisbuhler, head of administration and convention; and Michel Filliau, senior adviser to the president in charge of membership relations.
“I’m delighted with the excellent work done to date, along with the meeting in Lausanne,’ president Bell said.
“The meeting was extremely positive and has given us clear guidelines on how to progress our application. It will hopefully set us on course for achieving our sport’s Olympic dream.”
If given the greenlight, it could see Fijian bowlers competing in the Olympics in the future if they meet Games criteria and qualification.
Bowls Fiji president Radhika Prasad said: “As president of Bowls Fiji, I would like to tell the people of Fiji that lawn bowls is a competitive sport and not a leisure sport.”
The lawn bowls application will be submitted to SportAccord’s general meeting next April; and if successful, the World Bowls bid for IOC recognition will be resubmitted to the IOC to be considered by one of the IOC executive board meetings later that year.
