Planet Bowl Named Bowling Venue for Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games

December 5, 2013

Toronto’s Planet Bowl has been named the bowling venue for the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games.

Known as the Pan Am Bowling Centre during the Games, the facility will host 48 athletes from up to 20 countries competing in individual and team competitions. The location is part of the Etobicoke cluster for the Games with aquatics training and BMX competitions nearby.

“Elite bowling is an amazing sport to watch,” said Ian Troop, chief executive officer of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015).

“Almost everyone has tried bowling and knows how hard it is to get that elusive strike,” he said. “These athletes make it look easy. It’ll be a great community atmosphere as we cheer them on to victory in 2015.”

John Chapman, manager of Planet Bowl and a senior member of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA), added: “We’re incredibly excited to host the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am bowling tournament. This is a wonderful opportunity for our facility to host an international competition and to join together in the community celebration when the Games come to Toronto and Canada in the summer of 2015!”

Last week, Lagrange won her second Bowling World Cup after defeating Cherie Tan of Singapore at the competition inSiberia. Aumi Guerra of the Dominican Republic, a two-time World Cup champion and 2007 Pan Am Games bronze medallist, finished third.

“Hosting the 2015 Games offers an exciting opportunity for Canada’s athletes to compete at home in front of friends and family,” said the Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport). “Our Government is proud to support theTORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games and encourages Canadians to get to know our country’s top bowlers better as we welcome the best players from the Americas and Caribbean.”

Planet Bowl’s 48 lanes meet the standards set by the International Federation of Bowlers (FIQ) and the Pan American Bowling Confederation (PABCON), which oversees national federations in the region.

Previously, the alley hosted the Ontario final World Cup trials, 2007 Canadian national finals of the Bowling World Cup and 2006 Canadian team trials. In May 2014, it will be hosting the 2014 Canadian team trials, which determine the Canadian bowlers for the 2015 Pan Am Games.

“As a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities, bowling offers an opportunity to encourage communities to come together and lead more healthy, active lives,” said Michael Chan, Minister Responsible for the 2015 Pan /Parapan American Games.  “As we prepare for the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, we are proud to support our local athletes, including our internationally top-ranked Canadian bowling team, as they compete on home soil.”

Toronto City Councillor Mark Grimes (Ward 6 Etobicoke-Lakeshore), The City’s Pan Am Games Champion, added: “As the Host City of the Games, Toronto is excited to add bowling to its roster of sports competitions we’ll be hosting in 2015. Toronto and Canada have a wealth of amateur bowling talent and success in this sport on the international stage. It will be great to bring those two elements together in 2015.”