Match Line-ups:
Maria O'Toole -v- Conan Mackey
Carl McDermott -v- Hannah Cullen
Darragh McLoughlin -v- Karl Dryer
Ryan Press -v- Roslyn Moore
Dryer and McLoughlin match each other through the first two frames. Cullen trails McDermott by 12 pins. Moore leads Press by 36 pins. O'Toole leads Mackey by 40 pins.
Dryer picks up a tricky split to stay in touch with McLoughlin through 5 frames.
Moore continues to lead against Press. Mackey leaves 7-10 to fall further behind against O'Toole.
Cullen takes a slender lead over McDermott going into frame nine.
Moore strikes for a 30 pin lead. O'Toole leads Mackey by 20 after game one.
Dryer puts a double together to take the lead from McLoughlin going into frame ten. Cullen leads McDermott by 40 pins after game one in their match.
Dryer holds 4 pin lead over McLoughlin after game one. Moore leads Press by 45 pins.
Press pacing 290 in game two in response to poor game in game one.
Mackey still 50 down against O'Toole. Moore comes back from 3 open frames with a strike.
McDermott doubles to close the gap on Cullen to 20 pins. McLoughlin gets to within 3 pins of Dryer with a strike in frame 5.
Mackey puts together five in a row to take the lead against O'Toole.
Cullen holds 7 pin lead over McDermott going into frame ten of game two.
Press spares a tricky split in the tenth frame and strikes to sit 24 pins behind Moore.
McLoughlin and Dryer level going into game three of their match.
Press and Moore neck-and-neck through 6 frames of game three.
Mackey seals victory over O'Toole with a turkey to the ninth frame.
Cullen takes victory against McDermott. Press advances at the expense of Moore.
A ten-pin spare was enough to see Dryer defeat McLoughlin in a tenth frame shootout to advance to the next round.
That complete the bowling for today. More updates from the Pepsi Irish Matchplay tomorrow.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Matchplay-Round Three
Match Line-ups:
Stephen Joyce -v- Conan Mackey
Roslyn Moore -v- John Kennedy
Hannah Cullen -v- Paul Stott
Karl Dryer -v- Pat Irvine
Darragh McLoughlin -v- Enzo Paolucci
Carl McDermott -v- Andrew Smale
Maria O'Toole -v- Amanda Larkin
Aimee Kellegher -v- Ryan Press
McLoughlin starts well against Paolucci, Joyce doubles but then leaves a 7-10 split. His opponent Mackey opens with three splits in three frames to fall behind early in the match.
Stott continues where he left off in the last round. He paces 290 in the early stages against Cullen.
Carl McDermott shoots front four, but his momentum is halted by a nine-miss in frame five.
Roslyn Moore and John Kennedy are neck-and-neck through 7 frames.
Smale and McDermott are putting on an impressive match in game one. McDermott leads 217-191 through 8 frames.
Joyce continues to pull away from the faltering Mackey. He leads by 100 pins late in the first game.
A four bagger puts Stott in control against Cullen as she opens frame eight to trail by 33 pins.
Larkin has a 30 pin lead over O'Toole through seven frames of game one. Kellegher leads Press by 9 pins in frame ten of their match.
Joyce rolls a 241 to take a 126 pin lead over Mackey after game one.
McLoughlin leads Paolucci by 40 after game one. Stott also leads Cullen by 40.
Irvine leads Dryer by 40 in the early stages of game two.
A brookie strike from Mackey, but he still trails Joyce by 120 pins. Stott lookiing good again, he leads Cullen by 40. McLoughlin has 25 pin lead over Paolucci.
Kennedy holds 40 pin lead over Moore. Larkin leads O'Toole by 10, Kellegher leads Press by 20 going into game three of their matches.
McLoughlin leads by 50 going into game three. Stott leads Cullen by 80, but splits frame one of game three.
McDermott has a healthy lead at the half way point of game three. He has an 80 pin cushion over Smale and looks favourite to advance to round four now. Mcloughlin and Stott look like qualifying now, with only half a game to go they both have healthy leads. Joyce has Mackey well beaten and he will be going through to round four.
Kennedy advances to round four with 14 pin victory over Roslyn Moore. Irvine beats Dryer, McDermott advances over Smale. Stott beats Cullen. O'Toole beats Larkin.
Round Four of the Loser's section will commence soon.
Stephen Joyce -v- Conan Mackey
Roslyn Moore -v- John Kennedy
Hannah Cullen -v- Paul Stott
Karl Dryer -v- Pat Irvine
Darragh McLoughlin -v- Enzo Paolucci
Carl McDermott -v- Andrew Smale
Maria O'Toole -v- Amanda Larkin
Aimee Kellegher -v- Ryan Press
McLoughlin starts well against Paolucci, Joyce doubles but then leaves a 7-10 split. His opponent Mackey opens with three splits in three frames to fall behind early in the match.
Stott continues where he left off in the last round. He paces 290 in the early stages against Cullen.
Carl McDermott shoots front four, but his momentum is halted by a nine-miss in frame five.
Roslyn Moore and John Kennedy are neck-and-neck through 7 frames.
Smale and McDermott are putting on an impressive match in game one. McDermott leads 217-191 through 8 frames.
Joyce continues to pull away from the faltering Mackey. He leads by 100 pins late in the first game.
A four bagger puts Stott in control against Cullen as she opens frame eight to trail by 33 pins.
Larkin has a 30 pin lead over O'Toole through seven frames of game one. Kellegher leads Press by 9 pins in frame ten of their match.
Joyce rolls a 241 to take a 126 pin lead over Mackey after game one.
McLoughlin leads Paolucci by 40 after game one. Stott also leads Cullen by 40.
Irvine leads Dryer by 40 in the early stages of game two.
A brookie strike from Mackey, but he still trails Joyce by 120 pins. Stott lookiing good again, he leads Cullen by 40. McLoughlin has 25 pin lead over Paolucci.
Kennedy holds 40 pin lead over Moore. Larkin leads O'Toole by 10, Kellegher leads Press by 20 going into game three of their matches.
McLoughlin leads by 50 going into game three. Stott leads Cullen by 80, but splits frame one of game three.
McDermott has a healthy lead at the half way point of game three. He has an 80 pin cushion over Smale and looks favourite to advance to round four now. Mcloughlin and Stott look like qualifying now, with only half a game to go they both have healthy leads. Joyce has Mackey well beaten and he will be going through to round four.
Kennedy advances to round four with 14 pin victory over Roslyn Moore. Irvine beats Dryer, McDermott advances over Smale. Stott beats Cullen. O'Toole beats Larkin.
Round Four of the Loser's section will commence soon.
Matchplay Losers' Section-Round Two
Match Line-ups:
Maria O'Toole -v- Dave English
Greg Gardiner -v- Amanda Larkin
Aimee Kellegher -v- Dave Noonan
Ryan Press -v- Shane Hendrick
Chris Sloan -v- Darragh McLoughlin
Enzo P -v- Eamon Ward
Nick King -v- Carl McDermott
Andrew Smale -v- Barry Foley
Strikes all round at the start of this round, plenty of bowlers startiing with doubles. McLoughlin and Sloan match each other frame-for-frame with four strikes to open with.
Shane Hendrick also goes front four, with his opponent Ryan Press keeping in touching disatnce with doubles either side of a nine-spare.
Dave English starting confidently in game one. He sits on 115 for six frames working on a double.
Dave Noonan inconsistent in his first game with Aimee Kellegher. Kellegher playing solidly to hold a 35 pin lead through seven frames.
Nick King and Carl McDermott are contesting a close match in game through game one. Darragh McLoughlin holds an 11 pin lead over Chris Sloan coming to the end of game one.
Barry Foley is struggling again in game one here. He trails by 50 pins through seven frames.
McLoughlin takes a 20 pin lead into game two. Hendrick holds 30 pin lead over Press.
Greg Gardiner trails Amanda Larkin by 50 pins in the final frame of game one.
Dave English trails Maria O'Toole by 50 pins in the early stages of game two.
Enzo Palluci leads Eamon Ward by 100 pins half way through game two of their match.
Maria O'Toole turkey's to widen her lead over Dave English to 80 pins. Hendrick still leads Press, while McLoughlin continues to keep Sloan at bay with a double.
Barry Foley finally looks to have found some form in game two. However, his opponent Andrew Swale continues to carry well and maintains his healthy lead.
McLoughlin holds 50 pin lead going into the final game against Sloan.
Kellegher leads Noonan by 80 pins in the early stages of game three. English trails O'Toole by 110 pins. Foley closes the gap on Smale to 25 pins.
Press bowls 270 to take over the lead against Hendrick going into game three.
Foley goes front four in game three to take the lead against Smale.
English putting up a fight against O'Toole, pacing 259 in the final game. He trails by 70 though and it looks like being too much to get back.
Last year's runner up Noonan is out of this year's tournament, losing to Aimee Kellegher.
Foley opens and throws ball into the ditch to give Smale a chance. Foley splits in the tenth to open the door and allow Smale to close out the match, which he does. Smale through to the next round, but the defending champion goes out early.
McLoughlin is a 50 pin winner over Chris Sloan and advances to round three. Press takes out Hendrick to advance to the next round.
Amanda Larkin also into round three after a comfortable victory over Greg Gardiner.
Round Two is now complete. Round three of the winners' section will commence soon.
Maria O'Toole -v- Dave English
Greg Gardiner -v- Amanda Larkin
Aimee Kellegher -v- Dave Noonan
Ryan Press -v- Shane Hendrick
Chris Sloan -v- Darragh McLoughlin
Enzo P -v- Eamon Ward
Nick King -v- Carl McDermott
Andrew Smale -v- Barry Foley
Strikes all round at the start of this round, plenty of bowlers startiing with doubles. McLoughlin and Sloan match each other frame-for-frame with four strikes to open with.
Shane Hendrick also goes front four, with his opponent Ryan Press keeping in touching disatnce with doubles either side of a nine-spare.
Dave English starting confidently in game one. He sits on 115 for six frames working on a double.
Dave Noonan inconsistent in his first game with Aimee Kellegher. Kellegher playing solidly to hold a 35 pin lead through seven frames.
Nick King and Carl McDermott are contesting a close match in game through game one. Darragh McLoughlin holds an 11 pin lead over Chris Sloan coming to the end of game one.
Barry Foley is struggling again in game one here. He trails by 50 pins through seven frames.
McLoughlin takes a 20 pin lead into game two. Hendrick holds 30 pin lead over Press.
Greg Gardiner trails Amanda Larkin by 50 pins in the final frame of game one.
Dave English trails Maria O'Toole by 50 pins in the early stages of game two.
Enzo Palluci leads Eamon Ward by 100 pins half way through game two of their match.
Maria O'Toole turkey's to widen her lead over Dave English to 80 pins. Hendrick still leads Press, while McLoughlin continues to keep Sloan at bay with a double.
Barry Foley finally looks to have found some form in game two. However, his opponent Andrew Swale continues to carry well and maintains his healthy lead.
McLoughlin holds 50 pin lead going into the final game against Sloan.
Kellegher leads Noonan by 80 pins in the early stages of game three. English trails O'Toole by 110 pins. Foley closes the gap on Smale to 25 pins.
Press bowls 270 to take over the lead against Hendrick going into game three.
Foley goes front four in game three to take the lead against Smale.
English putting up a fight against O'Toole, pacing 259 in the final game. He trails by 70 though and it looks like being too much to get back.
Last year's runner up Noonan is out of this year's tournament, losing to Aimee Kellegher.
Foley opens and throws ball into the ditch to give Smale a chance. Foley splits in the tenth to open the door and allow Smale to close out the match, which he does. Smale through to the next round, but the defending champion goes out early.
McLoughlin is a 50 pin winner over Chris Sloan and advances to round three. Press takes out Hendrick to advance to the next round.
Amanda Larkin also into round three after a comfortable victory over Greg Gardiner.
Round Two is now complete. Round three of the winners' section will commence soon.
Matchplay Round Two
Karl Dryer starts with front three in his match with Amanda Larkin. Stephen Joyce takes early lead against Darragh McLoughlin after he missed a single pin in frame two.
Dave English starts well to lead against Pat Irvine. Barry Foley opens his first competitive bowling this year solidly to lead against John Kennedy.
McLoughlin doubles to take lead from Joyce. Ryan Press shoots front eight but leaves a solid ten-pin in frame nine.
Conan Mackey pacing 290 after four frames against Eamon Ward, who himself is pacing 278. Greg Gardner shoots a turkey to make up for an open frame in frame three. He leads Grant Duggan comfortably in game one of their match.
Barry Foley struggling a little at the minute, but he only trails John Kennedy by 2 pins after frame six. Darragh McLoughlin on a five-bagger as he looks to build a lead against Stephen Joyce. Joyce however is not letting McLoughlin get too far away from him.
In the losers' section, Enzo bowls 215 against PJ Shine's 141. Nick King's 264 is too good for Paul Chandler in game one. Chandler bowled a 230 to stay in touch though.
Grant Duggan leads Greg Gardner 236-222 after game one. This one looks like it could go right down to the wire.
In the winners' section, defending champion Barry Foley is really struggling. He sits on 117 after frame nine of game one. His opponent John Kennedy leads him by 70 pins.
Dave English leads Pat Irvine 216-189. Karl Dryer leads Amanda Larkin 213-178.
John Kennedy leads Barry Foley 220-126. McLoughlin leads Joyce 255-201. Mackey leads Ward 232-218.
Greg Gardner shoots front five in game two. Grant Duggan keeps up with front four.
Paul Stott leads Shane Hendrick 264-173.
McLoughlin is holding onto his lead over Joyce in the early exchanges of game two. Foley continues yo be inconsistent in his match with John Kennedy.
Gardner leaves another solid 7 pin and shows some frustration on the approach. He takes the spare with a two-handed reverse shot to post 213 in game two. He trails Duggan 464-435 going into the final game.
Dave English struggling in game two of his match with Pat Irvine. He trails overall, 341-310.
Ryan Press shoots 706 in round one of the losers' section. He will hope he can recapture that form when he goes into competitive action in round two, after having a bye in round one.
Paul Chandler goes front six in game three against Nick King. He now only trails by 8 pins.
McLoughlin still leads Joyce by 40 pins in what is becoming a battle of spares in game two. Foley shhots 152 in game two. He now trails 463-278 after two games.
Paul Chandler goes front eight, but a four bagger from King keeps him in fornt. King rode hid luck in this one, and will surely count himself lucky that Chandler had a bad day in terms of luck and carry in the pocket. King advances to the next round, but for an unlucky Chandler its the end of the road for this year.
Hannah Cullen leads Dave Noonan by 40 pins going into the final game of their round two match.
Eamon Ward leads Conan Mackey 460-424 as they begin their final game. Joyce levels things up in his match with McLoughlin. They are tied 419 a piece so its winner takes all in game three of this one.
Gardner pips Duggan 691-673 in a tightly-fought contest. Gardner advances to round two in the losers' section.
Paul Stott giving Shane Hendrick no chance. He is 544 for his first two games, with Hendrick able to do nothing but look on and admire some top class bowling.
Stephen Joyce makes the first mistake in his match with McLoughlin, leaving the 3-4-6-7-10 split in frame two. He steps up and spare it though in a high-pressure game. This one is going to go right to the final ball.
Hannah Cullen's lead over last year's runner up Dave Noonan is down to just 11 pins half way through their final game. This looks like another tight match-up.
Barry Foley is resigned now to joining the losers' section. He lies 180 pins down on John Kennedy coming towards the end of their matc. Dave English is also in danger of joinig the losers section. He is 50 pins down coming to the end of his match with Pat Irvine.
Mackey still trails Ward by 20 pins. They have five frames of their match remaining.
Joyce is starting to take a grip of his match with McLoughlin. He leads by 20 as they reach the halfway point of game three.
Hannah Cullen knocks last year's finalist Dave Noonan into the losers section. Cullen struck in the tenth to close the door on Noonan, who had closed the gap from the first two games to give himself a chance.
Mackey advances in the winner's section with victory over Ward. Ward will now join the losers' section.
Paul Stott shoots 823 to complete as comfortable a victory as you're likely to see over a helpless Shane Hendrick.
Joyce completes what turned out to be a comfortable victory over McLoughlin to move into round three. Karl Dryer beats Amanda Larkin 630-586.
Dave English starts well to lead against Pat Irvine. Barry Foley opens his first competitive bowling this year solidly to lead against John Kennedy.
McLoughlin doubles to take lead from Joyce. Ryan Press shoots front eight but leaves a solid ten-pin in frame nine.
Conan Mackey pacing 290 after four frames against Eamon Ward, who himself is pacing 278. Greg Gardner shoots a turkey to make up for an open frame in frame three. He leads Grant Duggan comfortably in game one of their match.
Barry Foley struggling a little at the minute, but he only trails John Kennedy by 2 pins after frame six. Darragh McLoughlin on a five-bagger as he looks to build a lead against Stephen Joyce. Joyce however is not letting McLoughlin get too far away from him.
In the losers' section, Enzo bowls 215 against PJ Shine's 141. Nick King's 264 is too good for Paul Chandler in game one. Chandler bowled a 230 to stay in touch though.
Grant Duggan leads Greg Gardner 236-222 after game one. This one looks like it could go right down to the wire.
In the winners' section, defending champion Barry Foley is really struggling. He sits on 117 after frame nine of game one. His opponent John Kennedy leads him by 70 pins.
Dave English leads Pat Irvine 216-189. Karl Dryer leads Amanda Larkin 213-178.
John Kennedy leads Barry Foley 220-126. McLoughlin leads Joyce 255-201. Mackey leads Ward 232-218.
Greg Gardner shoots front five in game two. Grant Duggan keeps up with front four.
Paul Stott leads Shane Hendrick 264-173.
McLoughlin is holding onto his lead over Joyce in the early exchanges of game two. Foley continues yo be inconsistent in his match with John Kennedy.
Gardner leaves another solid 7 pin and shows some frustration on the approach. He takes the spare with a two-handed reverse shot to post 213 in game two. He trails Duggan 464-435 going into the final game.
Dave English struggling in game two of his match with Pat Irvine. He trails overall, 341-310.
Ryan Press shoots 706 in round one of the losers' section. He will hope he can recapture that form when he goes into competitive action in round two, after having a bye in round one.
Paul Chandler goes front six in game three against Nick King. He now only trails by 8 pins.
McLoughlin still leads Joyce by 40 pins in what is becoming a battle of spares in game two. Foley shhots 152 in game two. He now trails 463-278 after two games.
Paul Chandler goes front eight, but a four bagger from King keeps him in fornt. King rode hid luck in this one, and will surely count himself lucky that Chandler had a bad day in terms of luck and carry in the pocket. King advances to the next round, but for an unlucky Chandler its the end of the road for this year.
Hannah Cullen leads Dave Noonan by 40 pins going into the final game of their round two match.
Eamon Ward leads Conan Mackey 460-424 as they begin their final game. Joyce levels things up in his match with McLoughlin. They are tied 419 a piece so its winner takes all in game three of this one.
Gardner pips Duggan 691-673 in a tightly-fought contest. Gardner advances to round two in the losers' section.
Paul Stott giving Shane Hendrick no chance. He is 544 for his first two games, with Hendrick able to do nothing but look on and admire some top class bowling.
Stephen Joyce makes the first mistake in his match with McLoughlin, leaving the 3-4-6-7-10 split in frame two. He steps up and spare it though in a high-pressure game. This one is going to go right to the final ball.
Hannah Cullen's lead over last year's runner up Dave Noonan is down to just 11 pins half way through their final game. This looks like another tight match-up.
Barry Foley is resigned now to joining the losers' section. He lies 180 pins down on John Kennedy coming towards the end of their matc. Dave English is also in danger of joinig the losers section. He is 50 pins down coming to the end of his match with Pat Irvine.
Mackey still trails Ward by 20 pins. They have five frames of their match remaining.
Joyce is starting to take a grip of his match with McLoughlin. He leads by 20 as they reach the halfway point of game three.
Hannah Cullen knocks last year's finalist Dave Noonan into the losers section. Cullen struck in the tenth to close the door on Noonan, who had closed the gap from the first two games to give himself a chance.
Mackey advances in the winner's section with victory over Ward. Ward will now join the losers' section.
Paul Stott shoots 823 to complete as comfortable a victory as you're likely to see over a helpless Shane Hendrick.
Joyce completes what turned out to be a comfortable victory over McLoughlin to move into round three. Karl Dryer beats Amanda Larkin 630-586.
Matchplay Round Two-Line-ups
Winners's Section:
Darragh McLoughlin -v- Stephen Joyce
Conan Mackey -v- Eamon Ward
Carl McDermott -v- Roslyn Moore
John Kennedy -v- Barry Foley
David Noonan -v- Hannah Cullen
Shane Hendrick -v- Paul Stott
Amanda Larkin -v- Karl Dryer
Dave English -v- Pat Irvine
Losers' Section (Round One)
Ryan Press -v- Bye
Aimee Kellegher -v- Bye
Enzo P -v- PJ Shine
Chris Sloan -v- Bye
Nick King -v- Paul Chandler
Andrew Swale -v- Bye
Greg Gardner -v- Grant Duggan
Maria O'Toole -v- Bye
Darragh McLoughlin -v- Stephen Joyce
Conan Mackey -v- Eamon Ward
Carl McDermott -v- Roslyn Moore
John Kennedy -v- Barry Foley
David Noonan -v- Hannah Cullen
Shane Hendrick -v- Paul Stott
Amanda Larkin -v- Karl Dryer
Dave English -v- Pat Irvine
Losers' Section (Round One)
Ryan Press -v- Bye
Aimee Kellegher -v- Bye
Enzo P -v- PJ Shine
Chris Sloan -v- Bye
Nick King -v- Paul Chandler
Andrew Swale -v- Bye
Greg Gardner -v- Grant Duggan
Maria O'Toole -v- Bye
Pepsi Irish Matchplay-First Round Updates
Strong start to game one for many bowlers. A Stephen Joyce double on lanes one&two was matched by Darragh McLoughlin.
Conan Mackey also throws double on lanes 3&4. He leads Grant Duggan in the early stages of their match.
Karl Dryer and Nick King start well to lead their respective matches. Greg Gardner starts front three to take the early lead against Eamon Ward.
Ryan Press behind in his match with John Kennedy. Aimee Kellegher leads Roslyn Moore.
Darragh McLoughlin back in the pocket after struggling a little in the middle part of his game. Hannah Cullen leads Chris Sloan by one pin as they approach the final three frames of game one.
Impressive 242 from Stephen Joyce in game one. Maria O'Toole posts 177 including her 32-pin handicap.
Greg Gardner's strong start starting to look a little wasted after two missed seven pins. Grant Duggan leads Conan Mackey by 12 pins going into frame nine.
Hannah Cullen takes game one over Chris Sloan 213-194. Eamon Ward capitalises on some bad luck in the pocket for Greg Gardner to take game one of their match 250-186.
Karl Dryer leads Paul Chandler 202-181 after game one of their match.
Eamon Ward starts slow in game two against Greg Gardner. Gardner spares the one-three-seven split in frame two to stay clean and keep the pressure on.
Stephen Joycd looks impressive again in game two, posting a 219. He posts 461 total for two games and looks comfortable to advance in the winners' section. Maria O'Toole will have to settle for a place in the losers section with the form Joyce is in.
Karl Dryer currently front four in game two. Paul Stott and Amanda Larkin also start strong.
John Kennedy still leads Ryan Press by 21 pins going into game three of their match. Barry Foley playing conservatively in round one. You feel his bye will stand him in good stead when it comes to the competitive action in later rounds.
Hannah Cullen widens her lead over Chris Sloan to 31 pins going into game three. David Noonan using his bye well to learn the lanes for later rounds. He bowls a 218 in game two.
The match between Aimee Kellegher and Rosyln Moore looks set to go to the wire. Moore leads by a single pin going into frame nine of game two.
Conan Mackey leading Grant Duggan by 11 pins going into the final frame of game two. Greg Gardner struggling to find a way to close the gap on his opponent Eamon Ward.
Karl Dryer shoots front sevenn in game two. He eventually posts a 265 to take a 110-pin lead over Paul Chandler. Dryer looks certain to move on in the winners' section.
Chris Sloan is trying to put up a late stand, but his opponent Hannah Cullen is matching him frame-for-frame to preserve her lead froom the opening two games.
Stephen Joyce cleans up in his first round match. He goes on to play Darragh McLoughlin in an exciting-looking round two match in the winners' section.
Hannah Cullen beats Chris Sloan. She will face last year's runner-up Dave Noonan in round two of the winners' section.
Roslyn Moore beats Aimee Kellegher in round one to advance to the winner's section.
Greg Gardner has given up his attempts to catch Eamon Ward long ago. Ward will advance to the winners section from this one. Conan Mackey advances to face Ward after defeating Grant Duggan.
Round One is now complete. The full round two line-ups will be posted shortly, and updates will resume as soon as round two begins.
Conan Mackey also throws double on lanes 3&4. He leads Grant Duggan in the early stages of their match.
Karl Dryer and Nick King start well to lead their respective matches. Greg Gardner starts front three to take the early lead against Eamon Ward.
Ryan Press behind in his match with John Kennedy. Aimee Kellegher leads Roslyn Moore.
Darragh McLoughlin back in the pocket after struggling a little in the middle part of his game. Hannah Cullen leads Chris Sloan by one pin as they approach the final three frames of game one.
Impressive 242 from Stephen Joyce in game one. Maria O'Toole posts 177 including her 32-pin handicap.
Greg Gardner's strong start starting to look a little wasted after two missed seven pins. Grant Duggan leads Conan Mackey by 12 pins going into frame nine.
Hannah Cullen takes game one over Chris Sloan 213-194. Eamon Ward capitalises on some bad luck in the pocket for Greg Gardner to take game one of their match 250-186.
Karl Dryer leads Paul Chandler 202-181 after game one of their match.
Eamon Ward starts slow in game two against Greg Gardner. Gardner spares the one-three-seven split in frame two to stay clean and keep the pressure on.
Stephen Joycd looks impressive again in game two, posting a 219. He posts 461 total for two games and looks comfortable to advance in the winners' section. Maria O'Toole will have to settle for a place in the losers section with the form Joyce is in.
Karl Dryer currently front four in game two. Paul Stott and Amanda Larkin also start strong.
John Kennedy still leads Ryan Press by 21 pins going into game three of their match. Barry Foley playing conservatively in round one. You feel his bye will stand him in good stead when it comes to the competitive action in later rounds.
Hannah Cullen widens her lead over Chris Sloan to 31 pins going into game three. David Noonan using his bye well to learn the lanes for later rounds. He bowls a 218 in game two.
The match between Aimee Kellegher and Rosyln Moore looks set to go to the wire. Moore leads by a single pin going into frame nine of game two.
Conan Mackey leading Grant Duggan by 11 pins going into the final frame of game two. Greg Gardner struggling to find a way to close the gap on his opponent Eamon Ward.
Karl Dryer shoots front sevenn in game two. He eventually posts a 265 to take a 110-pin lead over Paul Chandler. Dryer looks certain to move on in the winners' section.
Chris Sloan is trying to put up a late stand, but his opponent Hannah Cullen is matching him frame-for-frame to preserve her lead froom the opening two games.
Stephen Joyce cleans up in his first round match. He goes on to play Darragh McLoughlin in an exciting-looking round two match in the winners' section.
Hannah Cullen beats Chris Sloan. She will face last year's runner-up Dave Noonan in round two of the winners' section.
Roslyn Moore beats Aimee Kellegher in round one to advance to the winner's section.
Greg Gardner has given up his attempts to catch Eamon Ward long ago. Ward will advance to the winners section from this one. Conan Mackey advances to face Ward after defeating Grant Duggan.
Round One is now complete. The full round two line-ups will be posted shortly, and updates will resume as soon as round two begins.
Pepsi Irish Matchplay-First Round Draw
The draw has been made for the first round of this year's event.
Last year's winner Barry Foley and runner-up Dave Noonan are both given byes in round one.
Here is the draw in-full:
Lane One&Two: Darragh McLoughlin -v- Bye & Stephen Joyce -v- Maria O'Toole
Lane Three&Four: Conan Mackey -v- Grant Duggan & Eamon Ward -v- Greg Gardner
Lane Five&Six: Roslyn Moore -v- Aimee Kellegher & Carl McDermott -v- Bye
Lane Seven&Eight: Ryan Press -v- John Kennedy & Barry Foley -v- Bye
Lane Nine&Ten: Hannah Cullen -v- Chris Sloan & Dave Noonan -v- Bye
Lane Eleven&Twelve: Enzo -v- Shane Hendrick & Paul Stott -v-
Lane Thirteen&Fourteen: Nick King -v- Amanda Larkin & Paul Chandler -v- Karl Dryer
Lane Fifteen&Sixteen: Andrew Swale -v- Pat I & Dave English -v- Bye
Last year's winner Barry Foley and runner-up Dave Noonan are both given byes in round one.
Here is the draw in-full:
Lane One&Two: Darragh McLoughlin -v- Bye & Stephen Joyce -v- Maria O'Toole
Lane Three&Four: Conan Mackey -v- Grant Duggan & Eamon Ward -v- Greg Gardner
Lane Five&Six: Roslyn Moore -v- Aimee Kellegher & Carl McDermott -v- Bye
Lane Seven&Eight: Ryan Press -v- John Kennedy & Barry Foley -v- Bye
Lane Nine&Ten: Hannah Cullen -v- Chris Sloan & Dave Noonan -v- Bye
Lane Eleven&Twelve: Enzo -v- Shane Hendrick & Paul Stott -v-
Lane Thirteen&Fourteen: Nick King -v- Amanda Larkin & Paul Chandler -v- Karl Dryer
Lane Fifteen&Sixteen: Andrew Swale -v- Pat I & Dave English -v- Bye
Friday, April 29, 2011
Pepsi Irish Matchplay Note
Just a quick reminder that Bowltalk will be in Superdome in Palmerstown all this weekend to cover all the action from this year's Pepsi Irish Matchplay.
I will hopefully have live updates covering all the matches as they happen so you can keep right up to date with who's doing what in an exciting tournament format.
Both days will also be reviewed in-full after the completion of all the matches.
Make sure to log on to Bowltalk from 9 am Saturday morning to find out first who becomes the Pepsi Irish Matchplay champion for 2011.
I will hopefully have live updates covering all the matches as they happen so you can keep right up to date with who's doing what in an exciting tournament format.
Both days will also be reviewed in-full after the completion of all the matches.
Make sure to log on to Bowltalk from 9 am Saturday morning to find out first who becomes the Pepsi Irish Matchplay champion for 2011.
Irish Sports Council Recognises Irish Achievements in EYC
The Irish Sports Council has formally recognised the achievements of our representatives at last week's European Youth Championships.
The Council published a lengthy piece on its website, congratulating all of those who represented Ireland in the tournament in Munich, with special mention of course going to bronze medalist Amanda Larkin and fellow Masters finalist Sarah Finlay.
The article also mentions the relatively small resources with which our bowlers have had to develop under, and the impressive standard with which our bowlers were able to compete given these resources.
Hopefully this may be a recognition from the Council that, with more resources available, this country could compete at the very highest level in tenpin bowling. With any luck there may just be an increase in the amount of funding the sport is allocated for next year, which would go a long way to assuring that the country's top players will be more enthusiastic about representing their country in international competition.
To read the full article, follow this link: http://www.irishsportscouncil.ie/News_Events/Latest_News/2011_Archive/Bronze_Medalist_Bowlers_Arrive_Home_from_European_Youth_Championships.html
The Council published a lengthy piece on its website, congratulating all of those who represented Ireland in the tournament in Munich, with special mention of course going to bronze medalist Amanda Larkin and fellow Masters finalist Sarah Finlay.
The article also mentions the relatively small resources with which our bowlers have had to develop under, and the impressive standard with which our bowlers were able to compete given these resources.
Hopefully this may be a recognition from the Council that, with more resources available, this country could compete at the very highest level in tenpin bowling. With any luck there may just be an increase in the amount of funding the sport is allocated for next year, which would go a long way to assuring that the country's top players will be more enthusiastic about representing their country in international competition.
To read the full article, follow this link: http://www.irishsportscouncil.ie/News_Events/Latest_News/2011_Archive/Bronze_Medalist_Bowlers_Arrive_Home_from_European_Youth_Championships.html
Sunday, April 24, 2011
European Youth Championships-Larkin Shows Just How Much Talent There Is In Irish Bowling
It seems there may be plenty to look forward to in the future for Irish bowling after all, after Ireland's Amanda Larkin put in an incredible performance in today's EYC Masters in Munich to eventually take a bronze medal.
Sarah Finlay also put in a top performance to make the Masters and finish inside the top 16 as England's Autumn Chamberlain went on to take the crown.
The achievement is put into real prespective when you consider this is the first time Ireland has had two representatives in the Masters at an EYC event since 1983.
Larkin only just managed to qualify for the Masters after finishing in 24th place, the final spot for the Masters. She then knocked out the number one seed before eventually coming up just short at the final stage.
It truly was a terrific performance from Larkin, who at only sixteen years of age showed a mature head on young shoulders to handle all the pressure which comes with playing in the final stages of an international event.
On the boys side of things it was a solid performance from all four, with special mention having to go to Taylor Nally, who started the tournament strongly and unfortunately just ran out of steam in the final stages before the Masters qualification was decided. Nally eventually finished in a very respectable 48th place and there certainly is reason for hope for this young man's future.
To have two players in the Masters section of an EYC event is fantastic news for the prospects of the sport in Ireland, with worries over the last few years that the sport may not even survive on an international level for Irish bowlers due to concerns over the future of the Irish Tenpin Bowling Association.
Hopefully the efforts of Larkin, Finlay and all the members of the girls and boys teams in Munich will show people in this country that there is superb talent coming up in the game, and hopefully re-awaken the appetite of any who have lost their passion and interest for the sport.
Huge congratulations to all involved in the efforts of the Irish teams in the EYC in Munich over the past week and in the preperation over the previous weeks.
For all the results check out www.eyc.bowling-em.de, the official EYC website.
Sarah Finlay also put in a top performance to make the Masters and finish inside the top 16 as England's Autumn Chamberlain went on to take the crown.
The achievement is put into real prespective when you consider this is the first time Ireland has had two representatives in the Masters at an EYC event since 1983.
Larkin only just managed to qualify for the Masters after finishing in 24th place, the final spot for the Masters. She then knocked out the number one seed before eventually coming up just short at the final stage.
It truly was a terrific performance from Larkin, who at only sixteen years of age showed a mature head on young shoulders to handle all the pressure which comes with playing in the final stages of an international event.
On the boys side of things it was a solid performance from all four, with special mention having to go to Taylor Nally, who started the tournament strongly and unfortunately just ran out of steam in the final stages before the Masters qualification was decided. Nally eventually finished in a very respectable 48th place and there certainly is reason for hope for this young man's future.
To have two players in the Masters section of an EYC event is fantastic news for the prospects of the sport in Ireland, with worries over the last few years that the sport may not even survive on an international level for Irish bowlers due to concerns over the future of the Irish Tenpin Bowling Association.
Hopefully the efforts of Larkin, Finlay and all the members of the girls and boys teams in Munich will show people in this country that there is superb talent coming up in the game, and hopefully re-awaken the appetite of any who have lost their passion and interest for the sport.
Huge congratulations to all involved in the efforts of the Irish teams in the EYC in Munich over the past week and in the preperation over the previous weeks.
For all the results check out www.eyc.bowling-em.de, the official EYC website.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
European Youth Championships
Boys Updates
Taylor Nally is the best of the Irish boys team after the doubles and team events. Nally currently lies 25th in the All Events with a 205 average.
The top of the leaderboard boasts high averages in the boys section, with the leader, Daniel Vezis of Latvia, averaging 223 for the nine games played so far. Second place is occupied by Finland's Niko Liukkonen with an average of 222, and third place is currently held by Germany's Robin Menacher, who has an average of 219.
As for the other Irish boys, Matthew Kestell sits 54th with a 192 average, Aidan Byrne is 68th with a 187 average, and Kieran Grice holds 85th place with a 180 average.
Girls Section
Sarah Finlay is currently Ireland's highest ranked girl. After 11 games Finlay is in 19th place with a 191 average.
The top position in the girls section is held by Russia's Polina Kosiakova with a 221 average. She currently leads from England's Bethany Hedley, who has a 218 average, and third-placed Daria Kokalova, from the Ukraine, averaging 216.
The other Irish girls are currently places as follows: Emily Goode is 34th with a 182 average, Amanda Larkin 42nd with a 178 average, and Laura Curran is 47th with a 175 average.
Future Events
The competition takes a break on Friday, with no bowling taking place at all. The tournament resumes on Saturday, with the singles event for both boys and girls taking centre stage.
After the singles events the masters line-ups will be confirmed, with the top 8 in both the boys and girls sections making Sundays finals.
Bowltalk would like to congratulate all of Ireland's competitors on their efforts so far, and wishes them all the best of luck in the upcoming games.
For all the results, live scoring and ranking lists, please go to www.tenpin-ireland.com and click on the European Youth Championships link.
Taylor Nally is the best of the Irish boys team after the doubles and team events. Nally currently lies 25th in the All Events with a 205 average.
The top of the leaderboard boasts high averages in the boys section, with the leader, Daniel Vezis of Latvia, averaging 223 for the nine games played so far. Second place is occupied by Finland's Niko Liukkonen with an average of 222, and third place is currently held by Germany's Robin Menacher, who has an average of 219.
As for the other Irish boys, Matthew Kestell sits 54th with a 192 average, Aidan Byrne is 68th with a 187 average, and Kieran Grice holds 85th place with a 180 average.
Girls Section
Sarah Finlay is currently Ireland's highest ranked girl. After 11 games Finlay is in 19th place with a 191 average.
The top position in the girls section is held by Russia's Polina Kosiakova with a 221 average. She currently leads from England's Bethany Hedley, who has a 218 average, and third-placed Daria Kokalova, from the Ukraine, averaging 216.
The other Irish girls are currently places as follows: Emily Goode is 34th with a 182 average, Amanda Larkin 42nd with a 178 average, and Laura Curran is 47th with a 175 average.
Future Events
The competition takes a break on Friday, with no bowling taking place at all. The tournament resumes on Saturday, with the singles event for both boys and girls taking centre stage.
After the singles events the masters line-ups will be confirmed, with the top 8 in both the boys and girls sections making Sundays finals.
Bowltalk would like to congratulate all of Ireland's competitors on their efforts so far, and wishes them all the best of luck in the upcoming games.
For all the results, live scoring and ranking lists, please go to www.tenpin-ireland.com and click on the European Youth Championships link.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Rocks Tour-Event Six
This Sunday sees the Rocks Tour come to Leisureplex Tallaght for the third time.
The event is the sixth and final stop of the tour before the line-ups are confirmed for the finals in Stillorgan in May.
There are still spots left up for grabs in both the scratch and handicap finals, so this final event could be big for several players if they can manage to have a good day and bump themselves up into the final places.
There is also the issue of some players qualifying for both finals, which will mean that a few who don't make the finals will be drafted in to one of the finals.
All-in-all the final event of this year's Rocks Tour promises to be an interesting battle for those final spots and the chance to gain some precious ranking points for Team Ireland this year.
The event kicks off at 9 am as always, with check-in at 8.30. As ever bowlers will play five games, with the top five in both the scratch and handicap sections making the matchplay stages of this month's event.
The Finals will take place in Leisureplex Stillorgan on May 24th. For tables and results so far in this year's tour go to www.tenpin-ireland.com.
The event is the sixth and final stop of the tour before the line-ups are confirmed for the finals in Stillorgan in May.
There are still spots left up for grabs in both the scratch and handicap finals, so this final event could be big for several players if they can manage to have a good day and bump themselves up into the final places.
There is also the issue of some players qualifying for both finals, which will mean that a few who don't make the finals will be drafted in to one of the finals.
All-in-all the final event of this year's Rocks Tour promises to be an interesting battle for those final spots and the chance to gain some precious ranking points for Team Ireland this year.
The event kicks off at 9 am as always, with check-in at 8.30. As ever bowlers will play five games, with the top five in both the scratch and handicap sections making the matchplay stages of this month's event.
The Finals will take place in Leisureplex Stillorgan on May 24th. For tables and results so far in this year's tour go to www.tenpin-ireland.com.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Pepsi Irish Matchplay 2011
This year's Pepsi Irish Matchplay will take place in Superdome, Palmerstown, on April 30th and May 1st.
The event is the only full-knock out tournament in Ireland, and is open to both scratch and handicap players.
Format
The tournament is a double elimination event, with each match consisting of a three-game series. Competitors are given a lane draw and find out who they will face when they arrive at their lane. Each player has two lives to start with, so if you lose your first match you are not immediately knocked out of the tournament.
Their is a top prize of €600 for the winner, as well as cash prizes for places 2-6. Prizes are based on a full field of entries (32 players).
For more information or to book your spot in the tournament call Superdome on 01-6260700.
The event is the only full-knock out tournament in Ireland, and is open to both scratch and handicap players.
Format
The tournament is a double elimination event, with each match consisting of a three-game series. Competitors are given a lane draw and find out who they will face when they arrive at their lane. Each player has two lives to start with, so if you lose your first match you are not immediately knocked out of the tournament.
Their is a top prize of €600 for the winner, as well as cash prizes for places 2-6. Prizes are based on a full field of entries (32 players).
For more information or to book your spot in the tournament call Superdome on 01-6260700.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Bowling and the Olympics-A Case Study
Hypothesis
My hypothesis for this case study is: ‘tenpin bowling should be made an Olympic sport.’
For the purpose of the project I have surveyed ten people, with a survey of my own making. I have analysed the survey results statistically, as well as recognising relevant and significant quotes from survey answers.
I have also conducted two interviews. The first was with Kevin Fitzgerald, a well-respected Irish bowler who has represented his country numerous times at various levels. The second was with Greg Synott, a college student with no ties to the sport of tenpin bowling whatsoever. The purpose of the interviews was to gain both objective information and balanced opinion.
I have also researched relevant statistics in relation to the examination of my hypothesis, and conducted an analysis of these statistics.
Finally I examined the ethical and legal restraints which I had to work under while conducting my research.
The project is laid out in this fashion and order.
Survey Findings
For the purpose of my research on this hypothesis, I surveyed ten people; five of whom are associated with tenpin bowling, five of whom are not. The survey comprised of ten questions; one question being a yes or no answer, eight with answers ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree and encompassing all in between, and one open question which the party could write a full-length answer in an answer box.
The purpose of the survey was to gauge how people viewed tenpin bowling as a sport, including the differences which arise between those who are involved in the sport and those who are not, as well as examining how people feel about the fact that the sport is not represented in the Olympic Games and the effects which could arise for the popularity and funding for the sport if it were made part of the Olympics.
The stand-out statistics and points which arose from the survey are as follows:
· 90 per cent of those surveyed considered tenpin bowling a legitimate sport
· 70 per cent said that they would watch tenpin bowling on television
· An equal number of those surveyed said that they watch the Olympic Games as do not watch it (40 per cent for each response)
· 60 per cent believe that the Olympic Committee are wrong to snub tenpin bowling for the Olympics, of which 83.3 per cent strongly disagreed with the fact that the committee continue to ignore the sport
· 40 per cent said they would be more interested in the Olympics if tenpin bowling were a part of it, while 20 per cent said they would not
· 90 per cent believe that professional bowlers should be allowed to compete if the sport were made part of the Olympics
· 90 per cent believe that tenpin bowling should be made part of the Paralympic Games
· 100 per cent believe that tenpin bowling would become more popular if it became part of the Olympics (70 per cent strongly agreed with this point)
· 90 per cent believe that government funding would rise for the sport if it were included in the Olympics
When asked the open question of what they thought of tenpin bowling’s status as a sport (whether they would consider it as more of a leisure activity and whether they would be interested in taking up the sport) the answers ranged from the following:
‘It’s an interesting sport and, as with any sport, training and coaching are essential.’
‘I think that tenpin bowling isn’t given enough recognition for the skill that it involves. I think it is both a leisure and professional sport, like the way football can be.’
‘I think that it is considered a sport. I would only take part as a leisure activity.’
‘Highly diversified sport: for leisure or professional.’
‘More awareness of it as a sport needs to be created, more coaching programs set up and advertised. This would be helped by making it an Olympic sport.’
‘Tenpin bowling is a huge sport, with so many talented players. [Tenpin bowling] needs to be recognised in Ireland as a sport. It is a sport and is not only used for leisure.’
‘Yes I would like to take up bowling.’
‘More a leisure activity.’
‘If I took it up I would like to get coaching in it just as I would if I took up any other sport.’
Interview with Irish Bowler Kevin Fitzgerald
For the purpose of examining how the status of bowling is considered from within the sport in this country, as well as examining how its non-Olympic status is viewed and the effects which this has, I interviewed Irish international bowler Kevin Fitzgerald.
Mr Fitzgerald has represented Ireland
Mr Fitzgerald also has voiced his opinions openly in the past about the state of the sport in this country. In this interview I asked him why he thinks the sport has never gained mainstream status in this country, whether the sport needed to be recognised by the Olympic Committee, and what effects gaining Olympic status would have on the sport, both in general and In Ireland specifically.
The main points made by Mr Fitzgerald in response to my questions are listed below, as well as the questions which I asked him.
Tenpin bowling has never taken off as a mainstream sport “due to the domination of one business taking over the bulk of bowling centres in Dublin, which would have the greatest number, the densest population of bowlers. The commercial element has definitely come into it. Bowling alleys are about making money, they’re not about bowling. Back when I started bowling the bowling alleys were run by bowlers and you definitely saw the difference.”
“Bowlers and the Irish Tenpin Bowling Association really need to start working with younger people; getting them in, getting them bowling, getting Saturday leagues going again, getting the coaches back in. When I started there were 150 bowlers bowling on a Saturday morning. You would be lucky to get 10 or 15 now. That needs to turn around if we want to see the sport survive.”
“I think the government needs to realise that this is a serious sport. In other countries it’s taken very seriously; in South East Asia, it’s very prominent in America. It’s actually, game-for-game, the most played sport in the world, bar none. You can’t really argue with the facts, it needs to be taken more seriously, it needs more investment. With the right investment Ireland could be a dominating power in the sport.”
Bowling becoming an Olympic sport is something which would excite Mr Fitzgerald. He believes this would “turn things on its head” in terms of the decline of the sport and its lack of mainstream popularity here. “When governments see an Olympic Sport they see that it’s clearly an important sport worth investing in, investment which will attract more people into the sport, a new life into the sport, which it so desperately needs.”
“I think when people think about bowling at the moment they see it as a leisure activity; they don’t really see it as a sport. Getting Olympic status would definitely turn that on its head.”
- Why do you feel that bowling has never really taken off and gained recognition as more than a leisure activity in
Ireland - Do you think that more could be done to inform people about bowling in
Ireland - Could more be done to get people involved in bowling at a younger age?
- Do you think bowling should be given more funding by the government?
- Bowling has been considered recently for Olympic status. Would you like to see bowling become an Olympic sport?
- Do you think this would help the sport gain recognition in
Ireland - Do you think the sport would receive more funding if it became an Olympic sport?
Interview with Greg Synott
For the purpose of balance I also interviewed somebody who has no ties whatsoever with tenpin bowling.
The interviewee, Greg Synott, is in no way affiliated with the sport, and has no alterior motives in terms of promoting the sport or promoting any push for the sport to be included in the Olympic Games. The sole purpose of this interview was to gain some opinion on the hypothesis from somebody who could not, consciously or subconsciously, be in any way biased in his responses and opinions.
The main points from his interview are listed below.
“I didn’t know you could really get involved in tenpin bowling in Ireland. I didn’t know you could take it up as a sport at all.”
“I just considered it a leisure activity, because what I know of bowling is kind of just drinking and bowling.” Greg was referring here to bowling companies’ new initiatives to bring in customers, where you can now bring alcoholic drinks to a bowling alley while you play.
“I wouldn’t have known it [tenpin bowling] was on television, I didn’t realise it was taken that seriously as a sport, especially in Ireland. I know it’s played worldwide but I didn’t know how well.”
When asking him if he would watch the Olympics on television, he said “personally I wouldn’t really have time, to be honest.” I also asked him if bowling were made a part of the Olympics would it make him more interested in watching the games. “I think it would make it a bit more interesting. I think a lot of the sports in the Olympics right now are redundant and bowling might be more interesting for it.”
In terms of popularity which might stem from the sport being instated into the Olympics, Greg commented “Of course it would get a lot more viewers; it would get a lot of people involved in it at a competitive level.”
Q.1. Are you in any way involved in tenpin bowling?
Q.2. Do you consider tenpin bowling as a sport or a leisure activity?
Q.3. Do you watch any bowling on television?
Q.4. Do you watch any of the Olympic Games on television?
Q.5. Would you watch more of the Olympics if tenpin bowling were given Olympic status?
Q.6. Do you think the sport would gain more recognition and popularity if it were made an Olympic Sport?
Q.7. Do you think the sport would be likely to gain more government funding if it were made an Olympic Sport?
Statistics/Points to consider
• Tenpin bowling is now the biggest sport in the world which is not yet part of the Olympic Games
· Tenpin bowling is played by over 100 million people worldwide
· Over 10 million people worldwide compete at either amateur or professional level
· The number of bowling lanes worldwide is now up to 250,000
· Two major petitions have been set up on the internet for the inclusion of tenpin bowling in the Olympic Games.
· One of these petitions has been set up in the form of a Facebook page, and it currently has over 9,000 members.
· The other was set up in the form of a print document for anybody interested to print off and distribute in their area
· In 1979, the International Olympic Committee officially recognised the Fédération Internationale des Qulleurs as the governing body of bowling
· The sport has been used as a demonstration sport in the Olympics, in the Seoul Games of 1988
· The sport is also officially recognised as a Paralympic discipline, and it features at numerous disability games throughout the world
· However, as with the Olympics, ten pin bowling has never featured at Paralympic Games level
· Tenpin bowling has a long and illustrious history in the Special Olympics, on which it is now one of the biggest events.
Analysis of Statistics/Points
It is hard to see how 100 million people could all be wrong. Although tenpin bowling does not have a huge television viewership worldwide (only in the United States has the sport been regularly televised), the fact that so many people are involved in the sport makes it hard to see this as a genuine argument against inclusion.
The fact that petitions have now begun to circulate on this matter, especially the large number of members who have joined the Facebook petition, is very important. Clearly there is a demand for the sport to become part of the Olympic Games. Some people may argue that this demand is coming from inside the bowling world and not necessarily from fans of the Olympics in general. However, this does not mean that the sport should be excluded any longer. Plenty of events in the Olympics, even some of the most stall-worth events, have a narrow following. Events such as Pole Vault, in the Track and Field disciplines, and other events such as Archery are specific events with a specific fan base. Tenpin bowling has no more specific a fan base.
The fact that tenpin bowling has been officially recognised by both the Olympic and Paralympic Committees but has yet to be included as anything more than a demonstration sport at one Olympics is hard to understand. It is little wonder that the FIQ, the governing body of tenpin bowling, has been lobbying tirelessly since the late 1970’s for the sport to be included. How the Olympic Committee has continued to ignore this lobbying for so long is also hard to understand.
It seems clear that there is a much stronger argument for the inclusion of tenpin bowling in the Olympic Games than there is against it.
Legal and Ethical Restraints
In the process of conducting this research I came across various ethical constraints. Principally the fact that I am personally involved in tenpin bowling called for significant restraint. It would have been very easy for me to become biased in the way I focused my research and in the examination of statistics and information which resulted from that research.
Not only have I played tenpin bowling for the ten years now, during which I have played not only in Ireland but in other countries in Europe and at international level for Ireland, but I also have undertaken to begin writing on the sport in the last six months, after setting up a blog site dedicated solely to tenpin bowling. The fact that I have been writing about the sport for some time now has been a significant aid in restraining myself from losing objectivity in in this research project. I have had to remain objective throughout all of my writings since I began to write about the sport, especially since I began to be published by major tenpin bowling websites in the UK. Not only would objectivity have held me back in this sense, with website creators possibly being unwilling to take my work, it could also have seen websites in trouble if they were not vigilant enough to pull me up on any possible bias in my work.
Thus the months of practice remaining objective and restraining my personal feelings towards any issues raised by myself in writing about tenpin bowling has held me in good stead when it came to conducting research for this particular research. Specifically I have been recently published on the UK’s biggest tenpin bowling website on the very issue of tenpin bowling’s lack of Olympic status, and admittedly this could have been an issue when it came to my objectivity in this research. However, I am extremely satisfied that I have remained objective throughout all research conducted, and I have not let any personal opinions that I have in relation to the issue at hand influence the way in which I approached the conduction this project. The important thing which I had to remember throughout the conduction of this project was that this project was not to express how I felt, but merely to examine the hypothesis of the project in a balanced, objective manner. I feel that I have been successful in doing just this.
Other ethical issues which have arisen in the conduction of this research, although intrinsically linked to issues raised above, posed separate problems. It would have been wrong of me to write questions, either for the survey or for the interviews conducted, which would lead those involved to any one answer or to form particular statistics which were not wholly those of the people involved. To angle any of the research in such a way that one answer was fabricated in place of another would have been ethically irresponsible and I am satisfied that I allowed for all possible opinions to be expressed equally.
The issue of leading questions to certain answers and the manipulation of statistics and answers towards any one opinion or conclusion also brought in a significant legal issue. If in my research I acted in any way to fabricate statistics and opinions against what was actually true or what was actually said I would possibly have been subject to libel action and this was of principal importance in my mind while I undertook all research for this project. Any instance in which it may have been possible for me to stray from the truth in this research would have again been both legally and ethically irresponsible of me and could quite easily have seen me end up in a lot of trouble as a result. Due to this responsibility I was vigilant in my objectivity and in the absolute need for me to report the truth in everything which I researched and conducted for the project.
Overall it may seem to many that the status of tenpin bowling as an Olympic sport would not be an issue which would be considered serious enough to get somebody into legal trouble for anything reported which was not true. Not only do I not agree with this but I also believe that to think this way is to completely miss the point. Ethical and legal responsibilities transcend the importance of the issue, in my opinion; no matter whether you are researching or reporting the most serious incident or merely examining the most insignificant of matters, there is always a the same high level of ethical and legal responsibility on you to I undertook all of the research which went into the examination of the hypothesis of this project.
Hypothesis Evaluation
The purpose of this project was to examine my hypothesis that ‘tenpin bowling should be made an Olympic sport.’ It was not essential that the hypothesis be entirely proved one way or the other, but to consider all the arguments for and against the hypothesis.
From my research it seems to me that there is a stronger case for tenpin bowling to be made an Olympic sport than there is against it. Logically it seems almost a no-brainer, when you consider how huge the sport is worldwide, the number of people who play it, and the simple nature of the game, which makes it easy to understand, follow, and enjoy.
And when you look deeper into the issue, it becomes hard to understand how the Olympic Committee have continued to ignore the sport. It may not be a huge sport in this country, but even here there is enough of a strong popularity base for it to be conceived that people would watch the sport in the Olympics. And we are only one small country. It seems certain that the sport would be a popular Olympic event worldwide.
One extra note which needs to be made concerns the state of the sport in this country. It became very clear through my research that the sport has suffered severely in this country in the last decade. My interview with Kevin Fitzgerald opened my eyes to the possibility that the sport could be extremely popular here, if only action was taken by both the bowling alleys and the Irish Tenpin Bowling Association to ensure that the general public are being informed of the sport and its appeals. The sport was becoming very popular in the 1990’s, before the lack of funding and effort began to rot away this popularity again. It is important for the future of the sport that this is not allowed to continue.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
World Cup 2011 Going to South Africa
The 47th QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa this year, it has been announced.
The Northcliff Bowling Centre, which held the tournament in 1993, will play host to the event for the second at the end of this year. The state-of-the-art centre houses 24 lanes and all the latestQubicaAMF equipment.
Making the announcement, CEO and President said how excited he was to be bringing the tournament back to South Africa. Anne-Marie Board, QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup Manager also voiced her excitement: "I am so happy to be able to take the World Cup back to Johannesburg."
Gerard Paluzzi, of Let's Go Bowling South Africa, hosts of the tournament, was quoted as saying: "It is a wonderful oppurtunity and a privilege to be able to host bowling's most prestigious tournament." He added "this country has been one of the hottest properties on the world's tourist schedules and we invite one and all to avail themselves of the wonderful country and its people."
The Irish Qualifying Round for the Bowling World Cup takes place in September, usually in Leisureplex Stillorgan. Last year's Irish representative, Stephen O'Connor, proved once again that Irish bowlers can impress on the world stage, after he finished in 17th place.
The Northcliff Bowling Centre, which held the tournament in 1993, will play host to the event for the second at the end of this year. The state-of-the-art centre houses 24 lanes and all the latestQubicaAMF equipment.
Making the announcement, CEO and President said how excited he was to be bringing the tournament back to South Africa. Anne-Marie Board, QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup Manager also voiced her excitement: "I am so happy to be able to take the World Cup back to Johannesburg."
Gerard Paluzzi, of Let's Go Bowling South Africa, hosts of the tournament, was quoted as saying: "It is a wonderful oppurtunity and a privilege to be able to host bowling's most prestigious tournament." He added "this country has been one of the hottest properties on the world's tourist schedules and we invite one and all to avail themselves of the wonderful country and its people."
The Irish Qualifying Round for the Bowling World Cup takes place in September, usually in Leisureplex Stillorgan. Last year's Irish representative, Stephen O'Connor, proved once again that Irish bowlers can impress on the world stage, after he finished in 17th place.
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