The Professional Bowls Association is an international organisation which promotes bowls worldwide and organises competitions, including the

World Indoor Bowls Championships The World Indoor Bowls Championship is an international bowls competition held annual at Potters holiday park in Hopton on Sea. The last week of the competition is televised live on BBC where the open singles and open pairs', women's singles a ...

with other Bowls Associations. It also operates as the world governing body for Bowls.

History

Beginnings

In 1990 the sport was under a period of fragmentation following the loss of the television coverage connected with the World Indoor Championships. John Hall the President of the English Bowls Association unsuccessfully called for closer co-operation between the indoor and outdoor game. In addition there were 20 national associations and authorities, a crown Green Association and short mat rules. In 1992, a player led organisation formed the Professional Bowls Association (PBA), during the

1992 World Indoor Bowls Championship The 1992 Midland Bank World Indoor Bowls Championship was held at Preston Guild Hall, Preston, England, from 21 February - 1 March 1992. In the Singles Ian Schuback won the title beating John Price in the final. Schuback had beaten David Holt i ...

, which were held in the

Preston Guildhall Preston Guild Hall is an entertainment venue in Preston, Lancashire, England. History The Guild Hall was commissioned to replace the town's Public Hall. The new building, which was designed by Robert Matthew, Johnson Marshall, was due to be rea ...

to promote Bowls worldwide and on television.

Formation of the WBT

On 1 January 1997, under the then chairman Richard Corsie, the PBA created the

World Bowls Tour The World Bowls Tour is an international organisation which promotes indoor bowls worldwide and organises competitions, including the World Indoor Bowls Championships with other bowls associations. Its parent organisation is the Professional Bowl ...

and after the 1997 championship replaced the World Indoor Bowls Council as the leading indoor organisation. The purpose of the World Bowls Tour was to set up and create championships and competitions to further the aims of the PBA.

Organisational structure

Branches and location

The PBA has branches across the world, within Europe, in the UK (where the organisation was set up). It also has branches including in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Israel,

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

and Hong Kong.

The PBA Committee

The PBA Committee is the main organ of the Professional Bowls Association.

References

{{International Sports Federations Bowls International sports organizations Bowling organizations Bowls governing bodies