"Bowling Organizations"
| FIQ - The Federation International des Quilleurs was founded in 1952 to foster worldwide interest in amateur tenpin and ninepin bowling, as well as international friendship by encouraging world and zone tournaments and other competition between bowlers of different countries. It has been recognized by the International Olympic Committee since 1979 as the world governing body for the sport of Bowling. | PBA - Since 1958, the Professional Bowlers Association has been considered the "major leagues" of bowling. | PWBA - Founded in 1960, the original Professional Women's Bowling Association wasn't particularly successful, so a group of players left to form the Ladies' Professional Bowlers Association in 1974. The two merged in 1978, forming the Women's Professional Bowlers Association, which became the Ladies Professional Bowlers Tour in 1981. The group has now gone full circle. | ABC - In 1875, 9 bowling clubs in the NY area got together to form the National Bowling Association to begin to standardize the game. They debated for many years with other bowling clubs, but on September 9, 1895, the American Bowling Congress was organized in Beethoven Hall in New York. Finally, all began working together, the rules and standards, which are still in place today, were finally created. | WIBC - Although many women bowled in the latter 1800, the American Bowling Congress was a men's organization. In 1916, Dennis Sweeney encouraged a group of women to meet at bowling lanes in St. Louis to start the Women's National Bowling Association. The WNBA conducted its 1st national championship the following year. The WNBA was renamed the Women's International Bowling Congress in 1971. |
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