ASBM: Association Sportive du Bowling Marocain (Moroccan Bowling Sports Association)

What is the ASBM?

ASBM stands for Association Sportive du Bowling Marocain (Moroccan Bowling Sports Association), a non-profit sports association founded in 2007 in Rabat by a group of enthusiasts. Its goal, set from the very start, is to promote bowling in Morocco and develop it in line with international rules and standards, by offering a sound and transparent structure to everyone who wants to take the sport seriously.

At the time, bowling in Morocco was almost entirely a leisure activity found in a handful of shopping centres. No organisation brought regular bowlers together, kept rankings or ran competitions under the official rules. The ASBM filled that gap: it is the country's first bowling association and, nearly twenty years on, it remains the oldest and the most active.

The association runs entirely on the voluntary work of its members. It welcomes everyone, from beginners who have never held a bowling ball to competitive bowlers who regularly average over 200, in an atmosphere where the spirit of leisure and the spirit of competition go hand in hand.

Why the ASBM is the central player in Moroccan bowling

The ASBM is the driving force of competitive bowling in Morocco because it is the only organisation that has kept the sport alive continuously, week after week, since 2007. Where other initiatives have been one-offs, it has built for the long term:

• Regular, organised play: a league every week, with score recording, standings and finals.
• A culture of rules: scores kept according to the official rules, and a competition format inspired by international tournaments (qualifying rounds, finals, scratch games).
• A unifying role: through its tournaments, the ASBM has brought together bowlers, clubs and associations from Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakech, Agadir, Oujda, Meknes and Fez, as well as Rabat. This work is what made structured national competitions such as the Intercity Strike Cup possible.
• An international outlook: its tournaments welcome bowlers from Turkey, France, Spain and the United States, which helps raise the local standard.
• Passing on know-how: experienced bowlers advise beginners on technique and choosing equipment, and the association offers free introductory sessions.

With no national bowling federation in Morocco (see below), it is therefore the ASBM that, in practice, provides most of the sport's structure in the country.

ASBM leagues: bowling every week

The league is the heart of the association's life: members meet every week to bowl three games in an atmosphere that is both friendly and competitive. Scores are recorded and standings are kept; each league ends with a final that rewards the best bowlers. Since it was founded, the ASBM has organised more than 35 quarterly leagues.

Slots may change from one season to the next: check with the association before you come.

The ASBM has developed its own online platform to run its leagues: slot booking, score entry, weekly standings, divisions and membership fee tracking. Each week's results are shared with members.

The Intercity Strike Cup, the tournament that brings all of Morocco together

The Intercity Strike Cup is the flagship competition created by the ASBM to bring the best bowlers from every city in Morocco together in a single structured tournament. It is now the national gathering of Moroccan bowling.

• 18 January 2025 · 1st edition At the Megamall bowling centre in Rabat, the official partner. More than 60 bowlers from Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakech, Rabat, Agadir, Meknes, Fez and Oujda, joined by bowlers from abroad.
• 7–8 February 2026 · 2nd edition Again at the Mega Mall in Rabat, over two days in a singles scratch format, with up to 108 bowlers: three qualifying squads of three games, 36 qualifiers, then quarter-finals with 12, semi-finals with 4 and a grand final.

The format, with qualifying rounds followed by knockout finals, mirrors that of international tournaments: every bowler goes through a genuine competition pathway, which prepares Moroccan bowlers for tournaments abroad. Full details are on the Intercity Strike Cup page.

Other tournaments organised by the ASBM

In addition to the leagues and the Intercity Strike Cup, the ASBM regularly organises or co-organises open tournaments:

• Tamaris Bowling Challenge (2013 and 2017 editions) at the Tamaris bowling centre near Casablanca, one of the country's first open tournaments.
• Tangier International Open Bowling Championship (1st edition on 30 November 2024): around fifty bowlers, including some forty Moroccans from clubs in Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech, up against European bowlers. The title went to Turkey's Aytekin Kara. The 2nd edition, held on 1 November 2025 at the Socco Alto bowling centre, brought together 64 bowlers.
• League finals, at the end of every league, at the Megamall in Rabat.

In all, the association counts around ten national tournaments organised since it was founded.

Joining the ASBM: fees and benefits

ASBM membership costs 750 MAD a year for an adult and 400 MAD a year for a child (aged 8 and over). The season starts in September and ends at the end of June; the membership fee is paid in a single instalment.

Member benefits:

• Discounted rates on bowling games at partner centres in Rabat and Tangier;
• taking part in the association's leagues and tournaments;
• the official ASBM polo shirt;
• a free introductory session and advice from experienced bowlers;
• advice on choosing your equipment (ball, drilling, shoes).

How to join in three steps

1. Try it out: come along to a no-commitment league evening (booking required).
2. Sign up: fill in the online membership form.
3. Finalise: pay the membership fee by bank transfer.

The ASBM in figures

The ASBM and the future of Moroccan bowling

Morocco does not yet have a national bowling federation and is not a member of the International Bowling Federation (IBF), whereas several African countries have joined the African Bowling Federation. The ASBM's stated ambition is to keep uniting the associations of the different cities, to structure competitions and to prepare a national team able to represent Morocco in international competitions, particularly with bowling set to join the 2027 African Games.

In this context, the Union Bowling Maroc project, a national ranking platform based on averages and open to all associations, builds on the ASBM's work of bringing Moroccan bowlers together.

Contact the ASBM

• Phone and WhatsApp: +212 781 492 440
• Email: [email protected]
• Official website: asbm.bowlingmaroc.com
• Instagram: @asbmbowling
• Headquarters: Rabat, Morocco

Frequently asked questions