New global league aiming to transform sport of ten-pin bowling

Ten-pin bowling is set to be reimagined as an engaging commercial entity with the launch of the World Bowling League, according its founder, UAE-based entrepreneur, Adi K. Mishra.

Mishra, the chief executive of League Sports Co., believes that the project is vital for the future of the sport.

“Any sport that claims to have more than 150 million regular participants worldwide has enormous potential,” Mishra said. “Add a sprinkling of celebrity stardust, stunning competition locations and a focus on digital engagement, and League Sports Co. has the recipe to transform the popular pastime of ten-pin bowling into a commercially successful global juggernaut.”

League Sports Co. — under its previous name XTZ Esports Tech — announced last year that it had struck a deal that will run for up to 20 years with the International Bowling Federation to “drive innovation, growth and investment in the sport.”

Primarily, this will involve the launch in 2024 of the new league, which will aim to redefine the appeal of bowling through the WBL pro tour and WBL global calendars for fans and competitors alike, as well as broadcasters, sponsors, agencies and bookmakers.

For Mishra, it is an opportunity to introduce a unifying new structure to a sport that has already benefited from passionate professional, semi-professional and grassroots participants.

The WBL aims to expand the existing base and capture a mass audience through a pro tour and a “premier aspirational product” that has innovation at its core — from the competition locations to the lane designs, balls and scoring, Mishra said.

“At League Sports Co, we have been actively investing time and capital over the last 18 months to bring about much-needed change and updates across