Tenpin bowling accepted as an official blind sport

Embargoed until 3:30pm Tuesday 27th February.

Tenpin bowling accepted as an official blind sport

Blind Sport New Zealand President, Mr Kevin Murray today announced that the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) has accepted Tenpin Bowling as an official blind sport.

The announcement was made at the Garden City Bowls in Christchurch, just as participants in the Vision Impaired Games were taking part in this new blind sport.

Mr Murray says, "To establish tenpin bowling as a worldwide blind sport, an international meeting and clinic was held in Singapore just before Xmas.

"They voted to officially include this new sport, and now the decision has been made a committee will be set up by IBSA to govern the sport internationally - headed by Chairman elect, Andrew Chew (Singapore).

"There are already several events being planned in the next year or two as a lead up to the first World Championships for Blind Tenpin Bowling."

Mr Murray also adds that as part of Blind Sport New Zealand's commitment to blind sport, they are forming a new sports group called the New Zealand Association of Blind Athletes to cater for individual participants in IBSA and Paralympic sports. This adds to the national blind sports organisations that already exist.

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