For the first time in Saudi Arabia’s history, six female bowlers will be heading to Las Vegas in the United States to compete at the World Bowling Women’s Championships from August 22 to August 30. According to various news sources, the final six – Amani Al-Ghamdi, Nahla Adas, Mariam Al-Dosari, Ghada Nimir, Mashael Al-Abdulwahid, and Hadeel Termein – qualified after four days of tournaments in the cities they are based in. The bowlers, who will be the first female team to represent Saudi Arabia globally, will travel with their Egyptian coach Sarah Jamal to compete against the world’s best bowling athletes.
As reported by Saudi Gazette, the Saudi Bowling Federation (SBF) first welcomed female participation in February 2018, starting with a group of 12 Saudi women who trained for fun at the Algosaibi Bowling Centre. Soon, the initial 12 caught the attention of the National Coach, who was quick to recognize the dedication and commitment of women and advised them to approach SBF directly. When the players did, the Federation agreed to establish a program and form a women’s bowling team, a decision that received an overwhelming response.
Speaking to Arab News, Razan Baker, a board member of SBF, said, “These international championships always bring together elite athletes and have a great psychological impact on the athletes. Therefore, we are happy to participate and we look forward to a positive presence that will benefit the bowlers as well as bowling fans in Saudi Arabia […] We hope this participation motivates other women bowlers in Arab countries to participate in the most important event for women bowlers and help develop the game locally and across the Arab world.”
