World Ninepin Bowling Association

The Fédération Internationale des Quilleurs (FIQ) is the World Bowling Federation. The FIQ is subdivided into two disciplines, the World Ninepin Bowling Association (WNBA) and the World Tenpin Bowling Association (WTBA). Both organizations were founded by the FIQ in 1973 in London. The WNBA counts approximately 250.000 members in 26 countries on three continents (Europe, America and Asia).

World Ninepin Bowling Association
(WNBA)

Formation	1973
Type	Federation of national associations
Headquarters	Vienna, Austria
Membership	26 national associations
President	Thomas Berk
Website	WNBA

History

Because of different types of skittle alleys, the WNBA has three sections:

• Breitensport/Bohle (NBBK)
• Classic (NBC)
• Schere (NBS)

The Classic section is the most popular of all sections.

The section of the WNBA organises World and Continental Championships for all age groups as well as for World and Continental Single and Team Competitions. Furthermore International Matches and International Competition Events regularly take place.

Over the course of the centuries ninepin bowling has become recognized as a high-performance sport, requiring a high level of both technical skills and physical conditioning. Purely playful elements still attract recreational partucipants on skittle alleys.

Until approximately 50 years ago, the pins were set by hand. Today, microprocessors have allowed for an automated process using machines that set the pins and feed electronic displays with results. Instead of wood pins and balls, plastic ones are more common today. Bohle and Schere lanes require a wood or plastic running surface, while Classic lanes only use plastic running surfaces. These are implemented by either plastic-coating or segmented plates of plastic building material.

Skittle alleys suited for ninepin bowling have to be built according to WNBA technical standards, and are subject to scrutiny from national associations. This allows for consistent playing conditions worldwide.

Position within the FIQ

The WNBA holds the position of a disciplinary association and is thus an independent organ within the FIQ. For all responsible in the WNBA one of the most important goals is to disseminate ninepin bowling all over the world and to win further nations as WNBA’s members.

Objectives and tasks

It is the objective and the task of the WNBA to

• oversee all national bowling sport associations that practise the bowling sport ninepin or, in some other form, as a competitive sport in its widest sense.
• establish contact with national associations that practise bowling sport in its widest sense in order to win them as new regular members of the FIQ and WNBA or as non-regular members of the WNBA.
• promote the bowling sport ninepin throughout the world by fostering international championships, competitions between teams as well as individuals and international matches between member associations as well as other sport encounters on all levels.
• organize international competitions and oblige the sections of the WNBA to conduct international competitions.
• ensure common standards in the practice of the sport and the regulations concerning the referees within the WNBA by publishing sets of regulations of the WNBA and its sections and make a standardized game system possible in sports events of the WNBA and its sections as well as in member associations. The sport itself will be regulated by the sections.
• guarantee common standards in the technical specifications for devices used in bowling and for bowling alleys as required by the practice of this sport as well as in licensing regulations within the WNBA and in all member associations of the WNBA and its sections by publishing technical specifications. This is to ensure equal conditions whenever sport events are organized within the WNBA and its sections as well as within member associations.
• guarantee the observance of regulations and provisions of the WNBA and its sections as well as the observance of decisions of the FIQ by all sections of the WNBA.
• give advice and information to all members of the FIQ in matters concerning the ninepin bowling sport.

WNBA members

Country	Name	Classic	Bohle	Schere
Argentina	Fédéracion Argentina de Bolos			X
Austria	Österreichischer Sportkegel- und Bowlingverband	X		X
Belgium	Königlicher Belgischer Keglerverband			X
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Kuglački savez Bosne i Hercegovine	X
Brazil	Confederação Brasileira de Bocha e Bolão			X
Croatia	Hrvatski kuglački savez	X
Catalonia	Fédéració Catalana de Bitlles i Bowling	X
Czech Republic	Česká kuželkářská asociace	X
Denmark	Dansk Kegle Forbund	X	X
Estonia	Eesti Veeremängude Liit (Estonian Bowling Association)	X
France	Fédération Francaise de Bowling et de Sport de Quilles	X	X	X
Germany	Deutscher Kegler- und Bowlingbund	X	X	X
Hungary	Magyar Bowling es Teke Szövetseg	X
Italy	Italienischer Sportkeglerverband	X		X
Luxembourg	Fédération Luxembourgeoise des Joueurs de Quilles			X
North Macedonia	Kuglarska federacija na Makedonija	X
Montenegro	Kuglaški savez Crne Gore	X
Netherlands	Nederlandse Kegel Federatie			X
Poland	Polski Związek Kręglarski	X	X
Romania	Federatia Romana de Popice Bowling	X
Slovenia	Kegljaška zveza Slovenije	X
Serbia	Kuglaški savez Srbije	X
Switzerland	Schweizerischer Sportkegler-Verband	X
Slovakia	Slovenský Kolkársky Zväz	X
Sweden	Asfalkägelsektionen SV Bowlingförbundet	X
Taiwan	Ninepin Bowling Sports Association			X

Presidency

President
Thomas Berk		Germany
Vice-Presidents
Petr Vaňura		Czech Republic
Bernd Bock		Germany
Section-Presidents
Classic	Klaus Barth	Germany
Bohle	Horst Salutt	Switzerland
Schere	Michael Teschner	Germany

External links

• Internet site of the WNBA
• new WNBA website