The Finnish Bowling Association decided that it will not participate in the World Cup competitions at the end of the year. The Western Front has decided to boycott the International Bowling Association.
Executive Director of the Finnish Bowling Association Sami Järvilä is, like many other people in the sport, disappointed with the management of the International Bowling Federation (IBF) and demands a change in the culture of the umbrella organization of the sport.
In recent years, international bowling has been plunged into crisis by its Kuwaiti chairman, the sheikh By Talal Mohammad al-Sabah in the era, and many of the sport’s top countries have decided to stay out of the World Cup competitions held in Kuwait in October.
The board of the Finnish Bowling Association also decided at the end of July not to send athletes to the WC Kuwait, citing the uncertainty of the games and the confused situation of the IBF. With the same policy, Finnish bowlers will not be sent to the senior World Championships in Colombia in December either.
Al-Sabah, who has been in charge of the IBF since 2015, has been in the headlines due to serious financial allegations. Inside the Games website made news last year, that in 2021 al-Sabah transferred a sum of almost 10 million euros from the accounts of the IBF and the Asian Bowling Federation (ABF) to his personal bank account, but later the IBF management team refuted the accusations. Due to the accusations, Al-Sabah resigned as IBF chairman in May 2022, but returned as chairman already in October.
The Kuwaiti also serves as the president of the Asian Bowling Association.
– The administration of the IBF is in the wind, and there has not been an operational CEO on the payroll since last November. The sheik and his government take care of the operational side. Or they try to treat it, and that means it doesn’t get treated, says Järvilä.
Järvilä especially criticized the IBF’s financial management, as the umbrella organization has not announced its financial figures to its member associations for many years.
– We have no idea what kind of mess the world federation’s economy is in. Competitions are also not announced in sufficient time. These World Cup competitions in Kuwait were announced only in this budget year, when we and many other federations already make our budgets in the previous year.
“You have to respect athletes”
Järvilä emphasizes that the situation is unfortunate for Finnish bowlers. In June, the Bowling Association already had time to decide on going to the World Championships and to name the competition team before the cancellation at the end of July.
– I have to respect the athletes that, as far as I know, they have taken an understanding approach to this decision.
According to Järvilä, many western countries have decided to boycott the IBF. A total of 32 countries in both the men’s and women’s series were supposed to participate in the World Championships through the continental quota, but due to the lack of participants, the IBF opened up participation to all its member federations.
– For example, Sweden, a big bowling country, already announced in May that they will not participate in the World Cup because of this confusion. Among the big countries, Italy is also not participating in the Games, and according to current information, the United States is not going to the Games either.
Presidential election in October
The situation of the IBF and the entire sport for next year is almost completely shrouded in darkness. As far as the European Bowling Association is concerned, the future is clear after all: the women are fighting for European medals in June, the men have a gap year from the European Championships.
The IBF general meeting will be held at the beginning of October in connection with the World Cup in Kuwait, and then the president of the federation will also be elected. The candidates are al-Sabah, Brazilian, who is seeking his third term Guy Igliori as well as Canadian Cathy Inneswhich is supported by the Finnish Bowling Association.
– We believe that he (Innes) is seriously challenging the sheik in order to improve the situation of the world federation, Järvilä states.