KARACHI, July 24: The first All-Pakistan Bowling Association (APBA) Championship will be held at the Royal Rodale Sports Complex from Aug 10.

The newly-formed APBA is expecting around 100 to 120 participants for the lucrative tournament that will bring together the best bowlers from all over the country for the first time.

The five-day event offering huge cash prizes and the final will be played on Independence Day.

The Karachi-based APBA was formed recently with an aim to promote the neglected sport of bowling all over Pakistan.

The association is led by Aleem Agha who is the President of APBA, a body that is set to join the Asian Bowling Federation (ABF) as one of its affiliated member soon.

Apart from various other objectives that the association intends to achieve by the end of this year including raising funds and representing Pakistan at the international level, the APBA is also planning to launch a full-fledged domestic circuit that will include national level events all over the country.

The holding of the first APBA Championship - effectively the national bowling championship is the first step towards the setting up of a comprehensive national bowling circuit.

The organisers of the tournament that will be played at the modern and fully-equipped bowling alley.

“We have already started to get entries for the tournament though the entry deadline is still many days away,” said one of the organizers.

The organisers are expecting more than a 100 entries of full-time as well as part-time bowlers for the inaugural event that will have individual and team competitions for men and women.

In addition, the championship will also include an under-18 tournament and special events for under-12 boys and girls.

According to APBA officials, the purpose behind the holding of the tournament is to promote the game of bowling at all levels and to make it more popular among the general public.

For the first time in Pakistan’s bowling history, the APBA is planning to provide lucrative cash prizes to the winners of different events in the Championship.

The tournament will also help APBA to spot talented bowlers with a potential to represent the country at the international level.

The association plans to participate in various international events in the future through its own resources.—PPI