Teenage tenpin bowlers prepare for Commonwealth action
26th November 2004Holly Towersey, former European under-18 number one tenpin bowling player, aims to lead England's medal charge as the sport makes its debut at the Commonwealth Youth Games.
The 18-year-old from Crawley has already had an impressive year and is currently ranked 19th in the English senior women's rankings.
Holly won silver medals in the trio and team competitions at the European Youth Championships in Augsburg, Germany in April. She followed that up with a bronze in the team of four event at the World Youth Championships for players aged under-24 in Guam in August.
But her medal haul was even more impressive two years, when she won four golds and a silver in the European Youth Championships in Rome to reach top spot in the women's under-18 rankings.
Holly is looking forward to the competition at the 2004 Commonwealth Youth Championships, which are being held in Bendigo, Australia. She also hopes tenpin bowling's inclusion on the programme will help raise the profile of the sport.
"A lot of people class tenpin bowling as a leisure rather than as a sport, but I hope that if people see it, they will realise what a sport it is," she said.
Holly would also like to see tenpin bowling back on the senior Commonwealth Games programme - it last featured at Kuala Lumpur in 1998.
"It would be good to have tenpin bowling permanently in the Commonwealth Games and also at the Olympics," she said.
Holly trains three times a week and also bowls twice a week in a league, as well as competing in tournaments.
Jennifer Billingham, from Durham, also competes for England in the bowling alley in Bendigo. The 17-year-old is 30th in the senior national rankings. She was a member of the England trio that took gold ahead of Holly's threesome at this year's European Youth Championships, but joined her in the England team that won silver in the team event.
Sean Croke and Gareth Stone aim to repeat their gold medal success in the doubles at this year's European Youth Championships when they go into action at Bendigo 2004. Sean, from Sheffield, is 18, while his team-mate Gareth, from Huddersfield, is 17.
The full England tenpin bowling team for Bendigo 2004 is:
| Jennifer Billingham | (07.03.87) | Durham |
| Sean Croke | (14.03.86) | Sheffield |
| Gareth Stone | (05.02.87) | Huddersfield |
| Holly Towersey | (02.04.86) | Crawley |
The tenpin bowling competition in Bendigo gets underway on Wednesday 1st December and comes to a conclusion on Friday 3rd December.
England's teenage tenpin bowlers will compete against players from Australia, Malaysia, Malta, New Zealand, Singapore and Wales.
England's Pauline Buck returned with two medals when tenpin bowling appeared on the programme at the senior Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998. She won a silver with Richard Hood in the mixed doubles and a bronze with Gemma Burden in the women's doubles.
Team England is taking an 86-strong squad of athletes to Bendigo in Australia to compete in nine sports at the second Commonwealth Youth Games, which take place from 30th November to 3rd December.
The Commonwealth Youth Games were devised to give young athletes an opportunity to experience a major multi-sports Games.
England topped the medal table at the Edinburgh 2000 Games with 36 golds, 41 silvers and 18 bronzes. Australia tied with England on golds, but had fewer silvers.