Seeking to bring bowling back to the public’s consciousness, the Philippine Bowling Federation (PBF) hopes that the local governments will do their part in propagating the sport in the hopes of finding up-and-comers.
For starters, PBF is hoping LGUs can provide even just a small venue for bowling enthusiasts in their area.
“We have an obvious lack of bowling centers,” said PBF secretary general Alex Lim. “It’s not very conducive for business right now. I hope that the local governments can spare a few lanes to help us in our sports development that will also help us get more athletes that we can tap.”
READ: PBF, INQUIRER.net launch official Philbowling site
The PBF took the first step in re-introducing the sport to the masses with the launch of its official website, in partnership with INQUIRER.net on Friday.
The federation is looking at the move as a way to bring back the old luster of bowling, which used to be a usual past time back in the day, in the local and international scene.
Bowling legends Bong Coo and national team coach Paeng Nepomuceno. Photo by Randolph B. Leongson
“With this new partnership, we hope that we can bring the people back to the bowling centers and not just hang in the malls,” said Steve Hontiveros, PBF president. “Before, when you read the newspapers, bowling is always on top. You can total all the sports’ medals and bowling can match that. Now, we’re struggling to get even a bronze. We’re hopeful that this will help us bring bowling back to public’s awareness.”
Lim also wishes that by adapting to the changing media landscape, the public will be enticed to welcome back the sport, just like in the era of Paeng Nepomuceno and Bong Coo.
“This is a big thing for us,” he said. “With this, we can spread the information more through the internet. And we can help teaching the youth about guys like Paeng Nepomuceno, Bong Coo, Rene Reyes, and the others.”