Bowling selected as an official sport at the 2030 Doha Asian Games... Return after 12 years

Missed after the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Youngho Lee = Bowling, which was expelled from the official Summer Asian Games after the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, will return after 12 years through the 2030 Doha Games in Qatar.

The Korea Bowling Association said on the 13th, "At the executive committee meeting held prior to the general meeting of the Asian Bowling Association, the Qatar Bowling Association confirmed that bowling has been adopted as an official event at the 2030 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar. We are only awaiting the official announcement by the Asian Olympic Committee (OCA) and the Qatar Olympic Committee."

Accordingly, bowling, which had been adopted as an official sport since the 1978 Bangkok Games (excluding 1982 and 1990), was excluded after the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, but returned to the Asian Games stage after 12 years.

Prior to this, the Asian Bowling Association announced on its website on the 10th that bowling was included in the 40 official sports to be played at the 2030 Doha Games.

Bowling played a big role as Korea's 'medal winner' at the Asian Games.

In the 9 bowling competitions, Korea swept a total of 78 medals, winning 33 gold medals, 22 silver medals, and 23 bronze medals.

Compared to Japan, which ranked second in this category (18 gold, 15 silver, 7 bronze, 40 total), this number is almost twice as high.

However, bowling was excluded from the official sport ahead of the Hangzhou Games held in 2023 and did not return to this year's Aichi-Nagoya Games.

During the Hangzhou Games, it was reported that the bowling event was omitted to keep China in check as it was played alone between Korea and Japan.

In March of last year, the Korea Bowling Association held a meeting with Korea Sports Council President Yoo Seung-min along with former bowler Rep. Yong-ki Yong (Democratic Party of Korea) and requested cooperation for the return of bowling to the Asian Games.

Meanwhile, at the 28th Asian Bowling Federation General Assembly held on the 12th, Chairman Jeong Seok of the Korea Bowling Association was reappointed as Vice President of the Asian Bowling Federation and will continue his term until April 2030.