INCLUSION DIVISION ADDED TO NATIONAL RANKINGS

Tenpin Bowling Australia (TBA) is thrilled to announce a new division in the National Rankings system with the addition of the Inclusion division in 2023.

Incorporating male and female rankings, the Inclusion division is designed for bowlers with a disability to compete in nationally ranked events and will receive rankings points depending on their performance.

The Inclusion division will join the ten other divisions that currently sit under the National Rankings system, which includes:

• Junior – (Female and Male):  A Junior is defined as a bowler who has not reached the age of 18 years on January 1st of the current year.
• Youth – (Female and Male):  A Youth is defined as a bowler who has not reached the age of 21 years on January 1st of the current year.
• Women’s – Adult
• Open – Adult
• Seniors (Female and Male) – A Senior is defined as a bowler who must attain the age of 50 years or above in the year of the competition.
• Grand Seniors (Female and Male) – A Grand Senior is defined as a bowler who must attain the age of 65 years or above in the year of the competition.

“The addition of an Inclusion division in our national rankings system is well overdue, and we’re wrapped to get the ball rolling in 2023,” said National Bowling Manager Morty Douglass.

“Tenpin Bowling is a sport for all, and having this now reflected in our national rankings system is pleasing.

“Hosting the Para Bowling World Cup in 2022 gave us a glimpse of the incredible skill these bowlers possess, and creating new events and a ranking system for bowlers with a disability further enhances the opportunities available for these bowlers,” added Douglass.

After announcing the addition of the Inclusion National Training Squad (NTS) at the end of 2021, TBA continued building the initiative in 2022 by also introducing the National Inclusion Masters at Orange Tenpin in NSW in the lead up to hosting the International Bowling Federation (IBF) Para Bowling World Cup on the Sunshine Coast.

The 2022 initiatives implemented in tandem with the newly introduced Inclusion division rankings system will continue to support selections for the Inclusion National Training Squad and national teams by having the capability to monitor performances in international-style formats.

The 2023 Inclusion division ranked events will kick off early in the year with the inaugural Suncity Inclusion Cup to be held at the AGL National High-Performance Centre on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland from 25 February 2023.

TBA will run the Suncity Inclusion Cup and will announce additional events for the division in 2023 shortly.

“We understand that we are only one month away from this inaugural event occurring, but we wanted to kick off the division as early as possible in 2023 and having access to the AGL National High-Performance Centre provides us with the capability to do so,” explained Douglass. “We will continue to work with our partners to introduce more events for 2023 as the year goes on, but we are excited to lay the foundation early on”.

Entries are now open for the Suncity Inclusion Cup. The entry form and information regarding eligibility requirements can be found here on the ranked event page.

If you have any questions regarding the Suncity Inclusion Cup or the Inclusion rankings, please direct these to [email protected]