WIBC Headed for Tulsa
March 9, 2005
GREENDALE, Wis. - Tulsa, Okla., should brace for an invasion of nearly
40,000 Women's International Bowling Congress members during the 2005 WIBC
Championship Tournament, a USBC Event, April 9-June 24.
Final numbers for the 86th annual WIBC Tournament, a USBC Event, show that
7,962 five-player teams will compete at Riverlanes. The tournament will
feature 19,989 sets of doubles, 39,978 singles entries and 37,812
all-events entries. The prize fund for the tournament has reached an
estimated $1.6 million.
Tulsa should expect an economic impact of approximately $40 million, based
on previous WIBC events with similar participation levels. Each person is
expected to spend an average of four days in Tulsa and more than 50,000
room nights will be booked at area hotels. Approximately 600 participants
will arrive daily from April through June.
The WIBC Championship Tournament, a USBC Event, features the following
divisions: Classic for bowlers with averages of 190 and above; Division 1
for averages of 170-189; Division 2 for averages of 150-169; Division 3
for averages of 131-149; and Division 4 for averages of 130 and below.
Division 4, created in 2003, gives lower average bowlers an opportunity to
compete with other bowlers of similar abilities for prize money and
international championships.
The tournament attracts bowlers from every U.S. state and Canada, as well
as international participants from Australia, Bermuda, Japan and
elsewhere. It is the world's largest participatory sporting event for
women.
Future tournaments, to be called USBC Women's Championships, will be held
in Reno, Nev., in 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018; Charlotte, N.C., in 2007;
and Detroit in 2008.
For more information, visit
wibctournament.com.
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