Cash prizes on offer at Ramadan tournament

The annual Ramadan Bowling Tournament at Khalifa International Bowling Centre in Zayed Sports City starts today. The tournament, supported by the UAE Bowling Federation, is sponsored by the National Drilling Company. It runs from today until August 25 with games played between 9pm and 1.30am. Men, women and children down to age ten can take part, with attractive cash prizes on offer. The men's champion will take home Dh25,000, with the runner-up winning Dh12,000 and third Dh10,000. The top 12 will all win prizes. The women's and youth winner will each bag Dh3,500, the runner-up Dh2,000 and third Dh1,000. Delighted and excited "We are delighted and excited to host this tournament again this year," said Bahjat Zoorob, manager of the centre. "Our regular bowlers have been eagerly waiting for the announcement of the tournament and we have seen a tremendous response in registrations, especially with this being the first major tournament we are organising after the refurbishment of the Khalifa International Bowling Centre. "In addition to the cash prizes, awards will be given to the top men's qualifier, weekly high game scorers and weekly high series. "The tournament is expected to attract a large number of competitors from across the UAE and neighbouring countries." The semi-finals will be held on August 24 at 9pm. The top 12 players will vie for honours in the final the following day. The centre is the UAE's preferred venue for professional bowlers. It was opened in 1999 to host the 14th FIQ World Bowling Championship. The lanes are equipped with automatic scoring systems, automatic bumpers for children, along with scoring monitors and TVs. The centre remains open to the public during the tournament. The facility is no smoking and fully air conditioned.