Key points
- The International Bowling Federation (IBF), based in Lausanne, runs the World Championships; it has been recognised by the IOC since 1979.
- The PBA Tour is the leading professional circuit, with five major tournaments each season.
- Bowling was dropped from the 2025 World Games programme, but is set to make its debut at the 2027 African Games in Egypt.
- In Europe, the Brunswick Euro Challenge in Munich is one of the biggest stops on the European Bowling Tour.
- In Morocco, the ASBM created the Intercity Strike Cup: 1st edition in January 2025, 2nd edition in February 2026 at the Mega Mall in Rabat.
Who organises international bowling competitions?
Ten-pin bowling is governed worldwide by the International Bowling Federation (IBF). It was founded in 1952 in Hamburg as the Fédération Internationale des Quilleurs (FIQ), became World Bowling in 2014, then took its current name in November 2020. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland, and it has been recognised by the International Olympic Committee since 1979.
The IBF is built on five continental zones: Pan America, Asia, Europe (European Bowling Federation, EBF), Africa and Oceania. These zones run their own continental championships, while professional circuits such as the PBA in the United States operate independently, with their own rules and prize money.
The IBF World Championships
The IBF World Championships are the most prestigious competition in amateur and federation bowling: countries send national teams to compete in singles, doubles, trios, team and “masters” events. Recent editions have been held in Hong Kong, which hosted the IBF World Cup and the Para-Bowling World Championships in January 2025, followed by the IBF World Championships from late November to early December 2025.
The IBF World Cup is a separate individual event, for which each federation can qualify its best bowlers. Morocco does not currently have a national bowling federation, which is a requirement for entering a team.
The PBA Tour, America's professional circuit
The PBA Tour is the most famous professional bowling circuit in the world. The Professional Bowlers Association was founded in 1958 and its first season was played in 1959. The best bowlers in the world, American but also Australian, Swedish, English and South Korean, compete every season in a series of televised tournaments.
Five tournaments have major status: the PBA Players Championship, the U.S. Open, the USBC Masters, the PBA Tournament of Champions and the PBA World Championship. The record for major titles belongs to Australian Jason Belmonte (15), and the record for PBA titles of all kinds to Walter Ray Williams Jr. (47). For their careers, see our page on the greatest bowlers of all time.
Bowling at the World Games and multi-sport games
Bowling is not an Olympic sport: it was a demonstration sport at the 1988 Seoul Games but has never joined the official programme. Its main multi-sport showcase was the World Games, where it featured at every edition since 1981. However, it was dropped from the programme of the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China, and it is also absent from the 2026 Asian Games.
A new showcase is opening up in Africa: the IBF and the African federation have announced that bowling will join the 2027 African Games in Egypt. This is an important prospect for countries on the continent that are organising their bowling scene. To find out more, see our page on bowling in Africa.
The European Bowling Tour and the Brunswick Euro Challenge
The European Bowling Tour (EBT) is the circuit of open tournaments run under the umbrella of the European federation. Launched in 2000 with 9 tournaments in 8 countries, it brings together stops in around ten European countries every season (Germany, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland…). The tournaments are open: amateur bowlers rub shoulders with professionals from Europe, Asia and the Americas. The top players in the annual rankings are invited to the EBT Masters.
The Brunswick Euro Challenge (Munich)
The Brunswick Euro Challenge is one of the biggest stops on the European Bowling Tour. It is named after its partner, the American bowling equipment manufacturer Brunswick. Its 16th edition took place in 2019, which dates its creation to the early 2000s.
- Venue: since 2013, the Dream-Bowl Palace on the outskirts of Munich (Germany), with 52 lanes, billed by Brunswick as the largest bowling centre in Europe.
- Participants: bowlers from Europe, Asia and the Americas, making it one of the most international tournaments on the circuit.
- Partnership: Brunswick announced that the Dream-Bowl Palace would keep hosting the event until 2025.
- Recent winners: England's Dom Barrett won in 2022.
The Weber Cup and other key events
The Weber Cup is bowling's answer to golf's Ryder Cup: a United States team takes on a European team, each made up of five bowlers, over three days of singles, doubles and team matches (“baker” format). Created in 2000, with a first edition in Warsaw, it is named after the American champion Dick Weber.
Other regional competitions matter for the Arab world and Africa: the Arab Championship, whose 11th men's edition was held in Cairo in November 2024; the Africa zone championships, won in 2024 by South Africa in the men's event and by Egypt in the women's; and bowling at the Gulf Games. Morocco was not among the ten countries that took part in the 2024 Arab Championship.
The Intercity Strike Cup, Morocco's big tournament
The Intercity Strike Cup is the main bowling tournament in Morocco. It was created by the Association Sportive du Bowling Marocain (ASBM), the Moroccan Bowling Sports Association, the pioneering bowling association in Morocco, founded in Rabat in 2007, with the Mega Mall in Rabat as its partner.
- 1st edition, 18 January 2025, at the MegaMall bowling centre in Rabat: more than 60 bowlers from several Moroccan cities, as well as players from abroad.
- 2nd edition, 7–8 February 2026, at the Mega Mall in Rabat, billed as an international-scale event.
For its second edition, the tournament adopted a competition format inspired by international tournaments:
| Stage | Format | Players |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | Singles, scratch (no handicap) | 108 max. |
| Qualifying (Saturday) | 3 squads, 3 games per player | 36 qualifiers |
| Second round (Sunday) | New series for the qualifiers | 36 |
| Quarter-finals | Knockout | 12 |
| Semi-finals | Knockout | 4 |
| Final | Grand final and placing match | 1 champion |
The “scratch” format means scores are counted as they are, without the handicap used in leagues to level out differences in ability. To take part in future editions, the easiest way is to follow the ASBM's announcements or join its weekly league in Rabat.
Other tournaments in Morocco
Before the Intercity Strike Cup, the ASBM organised the 1st Tangier International Open on 30 November 2024 in Tangier. It brought together around fifty bowlers, including some forty Moroccans from clubs in Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech, as well as European players; Turkey's Aytekin Kara took the title. The 2nd edition, on 1 November 2025, gathered 64 men and women bowlers from all over Morocco, Turkey, France, Iraq and Kuwait. The association also regularly holds league finals at the Megamall in Rabat. For the full calendar, plus leagues and clubs city by city, see our guide to club bowling in Morocco.
Fancy trying competitive bowling? Start with a league: you play several games per evening, get an official average and learn how tournaments work. Find the clubs on our page listing bowling associations in Morocco.
Frequently asked questions
Is bowling in the Olympic Games?
No. Bowling was a demonstration sport at the 1988 Seoul Games and its federation has been recognised by the IOC since 1979, but it has never been part of the official Olympic programme.
What are the PBA major tournaments?
The five majors are the PBA Players Championship, the U.S. Open, the USBC Masters, the PBA Tournament of Champions and the PBA World Championship.
Will bowling be at the 2027 African Games?
Yes, the IBF and the African federation have announced that bowling will be on the programme of the 2027 African Games in Egypt.
What is the Intercity Strike Cup?
It is the bowling tournament created by the ASBM in Rabat. The 1st edition took place on 18 January 2025 at the MegaMall with more than 60 bowlers; the 2nd, on 7–8 February 2026, was a scratch singles event with up to 108 players.
Where is the Brunswick Euro Challenge held?
Since 2013, at the Dream-Bowl Palace, a 52-lane centre near Munich, Germany. It is one of the biggest stops on the European Bowling Tour.
Is there a Moroccan bowling federation?
There is currently no Moroccan bowling federation. The sport is driven by associations, including the ASBM, founded in 2007 in Rabat.
