The bowling sport is not doing too bad in Europe. That goes especially for the Nordic countries. I wouldn't go so far as to say that bowling is second only to hockey here in Sweden, though.
A number of Asian countries have shown economic growth well above average for years now. Increasingly, people there have a buck to spend and this motivates investors to put their money in, for instance, bowling centers. Furthermore, the bowling federations as well as the top youth and adult bowlers in some of these countries get sponsorships both from the government and from the private sector. In Malaysia, bowling is one of the three most popular sports. Or so I hear.
The National PBA Tour probably has the biggest concentration of excellent bowlers in the world. Most of these are American male bowlers. In my view, there are quite a few bowlers in Asia and Europe that could do well on the PBA Tour. The challenge is to motivate these players to take the step. These bowlers are already successful in international championships and tournaments. The older ones (30+) are often already set up with families and bowling businesses of their own. The younger ones often lack the financial backing that's required for a serious attempt. In addition, international bowlers that don't make it on the PBA Tour are disqualified from participation in international amateur championships for at least a year.
Maybe the PBA will be able to grow brand and prize funds enough to attract more of the top international bowlers. Maybe even add a couple stops in Europe and Asia.
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Regards,
jensm
