The competitions of the 28th edition of the Asian Bowling Championship opened this evening, hosted by Doha and organized by the Qatar Bowling Federation in its hall, and will continue until November 23, with the participation of 168 male and female players representing 18 Asian countries, in a continental sports gathering that includes an elite group of the game’s most prominent stars.
The tournament will witness the participation of the teams of Qatar, China, Hong Kong, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kuwait, Macau, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, the Emirates, and Uzbekistan, with 108 players in the men’s competition and 60 players in the women’s competition, which reflects the size of the participation and the strength of the expected competition for various titles.
The opening ceremony was attended by Sheikh Talal Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, President of the International, Asian and Kuwaiti Bowling Federations, Mr. Abdulrahman Abdullah Hassan Al-Maliki, Assistant Undersecretary for Sports Affairs at the Ministry of Sports and Youth, and Mr. Abdullah Sultan Al-Qattan, President of the Qatar Bowling Federation and Vice President of the Asian Bowling Federation, along with members of the Qatari and Asian Federations, heads of participating delegations, and a number of sports figures and guests of the tournament.
The opening ceremony included a group of celebratory events that reflected the cultural and civilizational diversity of the participating countries, most notably the display of the flags of the participating teams, in a scene that embodied the spirit of unity and brotherhood among the Asian bowling family, and added a distinctive celebratory atmosphere to the launch of this major continental event. An artistic painting of the Qatari parade was also presented.
In a speech he delivered during the ceremony, Sheikh Talal Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, President of the International, Asian and Kuwaiti Bowling Federations, praised the preparations and organizational efforts made by the Qatar Bowling Federation to host the 28th Asian Championship for men and women, whose competitions began in the Qatari capital, Doha, stressing that Qatar’s hosting of this continental event reflects its distinguished position and ability to organize major sports tournaments.
Al-Mohammed said that he feels happy and proud to be in Doha and participate in the opening of this Asian sports gathering, expressing his sincere thanks and appreciation to the Qatar Bowling Federation for hosting the tournament and the distinguished efforts it has provided in preparation and organization, indicating that this is not strange for the Qatari Bowling Federation, which has great experience in organizing and hosting sporting events.
He added that the tournament represents an important opportunity to bring together an elite group of the most prominent players from the Asian continent, in a way that strengthens the bonds of communication and sports competition between the participating federations, expressing his aspiration to witness strong and distinguished competitions that reflect the continuous development and advanced technical level that the sport of bowling has reached in Asia.
The President of the International, Asian and Kuwaiti Bowling Federations thanked all the Asian federations that were keen to participate in the tournament, wishing the male and female players to provide distinguished technical levels and achieve the results they aspire to, in an atmosphere dominated by fair competition and sportsmanship.
He also expressed his deep appreciation and gratitude to the State of Qatar and the Ministry of Sports and Youth for their generous support for the tournament, stressing that this support represents an important pillar for the success of continental sports gatherings and enhancing the progress of the game in various Asian countries, before concluding his speech by wishing good luck and success to all participating countries and teams.
In turn, Mr. Abdullah Sultan Al-Qattan, President of the Qatar Bowling Federation, in his speech during the opening ceremony, affirmed the State of Qatar’s pride in hosting the 28th Asian Bowling Championship for men and women, whose competitions will be held in Doha during the period from 13 to 22 November this year, with the participation of an elite group of male and female Asian national team players, in a sporting event that brings together the continent’s champions under the umbrella of fair competition and sports communication.
Al-Qattan said that the Qatar Bowling Federation welcomes all delegations and teams participating in their second country, Qatar, and expressed his happiness at hosting this important continental event, which constitutes a prominent milestone in the journey of Asian bowling, and provides the opportunity for male and female players to highlight their technical abilities and capabilities and compete at the highest levels.
He added that hosting the tournament comes within the framework of the Qatari Federation’s keenness to continue its role in supporting and developing the sport of bowling, and enhancing its position on the Asian scene, by hosting major tournaments and providing the appropriate atmosphere for their success, which contributes to raising the technical level of the game and expanding the base of its practice.
The President of the Qatar Bowling Federation extended his sincere thanks and appreciation to the Asian Bowling Federation for its continued cooperation and confidence in giving Qatar the opportunity to host this tournament, stressing that partnership and coordination between sports federations represent an essential foundation for developing the game and enhancing its progress on the continent.
He also expressed his deep gratitude to the Ministry of Sports and Youth for its continuous and unlimited support, and its keenness to provide all the ingredients for success in organizing the tournament and directing it in a way that befits the status of the State of Qatar and its distinguished reputation in hosting international and continental sporting events.
Al-Qattan concluded his speech by once again welcoming all the participating delegations, wishing the teams, male and female players, success and presenting distinguished technical levels, and that the tournament will witness strong competitions that reflect the development witnessed by the sport of bowling in Asia, and contribute to strengthening the bonds of brotherhood and cooperation between all participating countries.
In terms of competitions, today, Friday, official training was held for the participating teams in three groups, in order to put the final touches before the start of the official competitions tomorrow morning, Saturday, November 14, with the women’s singles competition, and the competitions will continue on Sunday, November 15, with the men’s singles competition in two groups, followed by the crowning of the male and female winners with individual medals.
The championship competitions will continue on Monday, November 16, with the women’s and men’s doubles competition, while the women’s and men’s triple competition will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 17 and 18, in two periods, with this stage concluding with a crowning ceremony for the first-place finishers.
The tournament will enter a new phase of challenge on Thursday and Friday, November 19 and 20, with teams consisting of five male and female players competing in two periods, before the medal-winning teams are crowned.
On Saturday and Sunday, November 21 and 22, all eyes will turn to the Masters competitions, which will witness the qualification of the best male and female players to compete in the finals, leading to the Step-ladder competitions for women and men on Sunday, November 22nd, which will include medal distribution ceremonies in various competitions, and the crowning of the Masters champions, marking the curtain coming down on the competitions of the 28th edition of the tournament.
The Qatari team enters the championship competitions with great ambitions, seeking to achieve positive results and compete with the continent’s elite players to ascend to the podiums, where the support is represented by six players: Jassim Mohammed Al-Muraikhi, Mohammed Hamad Al-Muraikhi, Badr Khaled Al-Sada, Talal Ali Al-Marri, Musaed Mohammed Al-Muraikhi, and Abdullah Mohammed Al-Dosari.
The technical supervision of the team is undertaken by coach Pedro Luis Mirani, with the assistance of national coach Khalifa Ali Al Kubaisi, as the technical staff relies on the preparation period and preparations that the players went through during the last stage, in order to appear at a distinguished technical level and achieve the best results against competitors.
Doha’s hosting of this tournament is of special importance in the Asian bowling agenda for the year 2026, as it is one of the most prominent continental stations that brings together the elite champions of the game, and provides an opportunity to compete for titles and medals in the singles, doubles, triples, teams and masters competitions.
Hosting this event also confirms the Qatar Bowling Federation’s keenness to enhance Qatar’s presence in the Asian sports scene and consolidate its position as a center for hosting major tournaments, which contributes to developing the game and expanding the base of its practitioners, and opens new horizons for the continent’s male and female players to continue to shine and achieve achievements.