TBFI chalks out new growth path to promote Tenpin Bowling

Chennai, Aug 18 (UNI) With a view to giving more fillip to the sport of Tenpin Bowling, which has become a rage among the youth, the Tenpin Bowling Federation of India (TBFI) today chalked out a growth path, including formation of an ''Elite Youth Squad'' aimed at winning gold medal in the 2014 Asian Games at Korea.

Talking to reporters after the TBFI Executive Committee meeting held here, newly appointed President Karti P Chidambaram said the gold medal win by shooter Abhinav Bindra in Beijing Olympics showed that unlike other sports, Indians were good at sport which involved hand-eye coordination.

The tenpin bowling is a sport that involved hand-eye coordination and has 12 gold medals in Asian Games, more than Tennis and other sports.

Keeping this in mind, the TBFI has decided to form an elite youth squad comprising top 12 men players of the country in the age group of 17 and 22 based on their performance in various national and international events.

The squad, to be formally launched in January 2009, would be given intensive training by international coaches and sent abroad for tournaments to mould them as the potential medal winners in the 2014 Asian Games.

''The 12 members will be the nucleus of the Indian squad that will participate in the 2010 Asian Games. But our target is 2014 games by providing them systematic and scientific training for 200 days a year,'' Mr Karti said and added that the TBFI has got the consent of the players' parents.

Mr Karti said the TBFI would also petition the Union Sports Ministry, seeking to treat Tenpin Bowling as a true sport, that has potential to throw up medal winners, and not as an entertainment and provide import duty cuts on par with other sports.

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