September 7, 2007
By: Mark Martin
WTBA
ELECTION
Kevin
Dornberger, interim chief operating officer of the United States Bowling
Congress, has been elected president of the World Tenpin Bowling Association by
defeating the incumbent WTBA president Heikki Sarso of
Dornberger
defeated Sarso 53-34 in a vote of the WTBA Congress at their meeting in
In other action the WTBA voted to allow professionals to compete in international events, a move that bolsters the sport’s bid for inclusion into the Olympic Games.
“I’m extremely humbled by being selected to take on this heavy responsibility,” Dornberger said. “I look forward to moving WTBA into the future and hopefully into the Olympics.”
By 2009, two current non-Olympic sports may be selected by the International Olympic Committee for inclusion into the 2016 Summer Olympics. Dornberger said the move by the WTBA Congress to all professionals in international events strengthens bowling’s position to become one of those selections.
Bowling
was a demonstration sport in the 1988 Summer Olympics in
“This is an important first step in bowling potentially becoming an Olympic sport,” Dornberger said. ”The International Olympic Committee has said it wants the best athletes to compete and we have now made that change. There is no guarantee we will be included in the Olympics, but this points our sport in the right direction.”
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FLETCHER
APPOINTED
Libbi
Fletcher of
Fletcher is the president of the Metro Detroit USBC Association and has extensive experience as a leader and administrator at the local, state and national levels. She was a director for the Women’s International Bowling Congress for four years serving on the Strategic Planning, Certification Review, Collegiate, Transition and Bowling Technology Task Force committees, among others.
“Sylvia brought a wealth of knowledge about the feelings and concerns of our female members,” said Bojé. “Libbi fills this valuable role on the Board. She is also smart, passionate and not afraid to aggressively champion the things she believes in on behalf of our sport, which are valuable traits.”
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HONOR SCORES
300
Games
Date,
Name, Hometown, Center, League
Aug.
29, Ryan Skarritt,
800
Series
Aug.
30, Paul Thornton (822),
Mark Martin writes a weekly bowling column on Fridays for The Daily Oakland Press and is the association manager of the Metro Detroit USBC Association. He can be reached at (248) 443-2695, faxed at (248) 443-2690 or e-mailed at mark.martin@mdusbc.com.