Asian bowling championships open in Doha with 168 athletes
Teams from 18 Asian nations, including Pakistan, are competing for titles at the event, which is hosted by the Qatar Bowling Federation.
The 28th Asian Bowling Championships got under way on Friday in Doha, bringing 168 athletes from 18 Asian nations together, Qatar's state news agency QNA reported.
The Qatar Bowling Federation is hosting the tournament at its bowling center, and it is scheduled to run until late November.
Teams from countries including Pakistan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Thailand are taking part, with 108 men and 60 women competing for titles.
Sheikh Talal Mohammad Al-Sabah, president of the International, Asian and Kuwaiti Bowling Federations, attended the opening along with Abdulrahman Abdullah Hassan Al Maliki, assistant undersecretary for sports affairs at the Ministry of Sports and Youth.
Abdullah Sultan Al Qattan, president of the Qatar Bowling Federation and vice president of the Asian Bowling Federation, also attended the ceremony.
The opening featured a parade of the teams' flags and a performance of the traditional Qatari Ardha dance, which organizers presented as a celebration of the region's cultural diversity.
Al-Sabah said Qatar's hosting of the continental event underscored the country's standing and its ability to organize major sporting championships.
Al Qattan said the federation welcomed every delegation to what he called their "second home."
Al-Sabah thanked the Qatar Bowling Federation and the Ministry of Sports and Youth for their support, and he expressed hope that athletes would compete in a spirit of fair play.
The Asian Bowling Federation oversees continental championships such as this one, and Qatar has been chosen to host the 28th edition.
