Athletes from 92 nations entered in 2001 AMF Bowling World Cup

Ninety-two nations, ranging from bowling giants Finland, Malaysia and the United States to newcomers such as Kazakhstan and Vietnam, plan to send representatives to the 2001 AMF Bowling World Cup slated Nov. 4-10 at PS Bowl in Pattaya, Thailand. The 36th edition of the international sports classic, held in Lisbon, Portugal, last year, attracted 155 men and women athletes from a record 88 countries, including "rookie" nations Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Eritrea, Gibraltar,

Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Peru, San Marino and Slovenia. Last year's newcomers have all indicated they intend to compete in Thailand, along with many of the 115 other nations invited to participate this year. "It's amazing that so many nations that are new to bowling want to be part of the sport's most prestigious amateur championship," AMF's Anne-Marie Board said. "We welcome them gladly, no matter what skill level, because they enhance the international spirit of friendship that makes this tournament special. In return, the knowledge they take home enables them to both improve individually and to grow the sport even more." In addition to Kazakhstan and Vietnam, athletes from Bulgaria, Laos, Palestine,and St. Helena are expected to compete in the Bowling World Cup for the first time. Matchroom Productions, the U.K.-based TV production company that taped and distributed an eight-part installment series of the 2000 AMF Bowling World Cup around the world last year, will coordinate TV production and distribution again this year in Pattaya. Matchroom Productions is best known in the bowling world for producing the World Tenpin Masters, a highly rated head-to-head "knockout"competition. The AMF Bowling World Cup, founded by AMF Bowling Inc., is the largest annual international sports competition in the world in terms of number of participating countries. Each country is invited to send one man and one woman to represent it in the week long competition. AMF Bowling, PS Bowling Group,Singha Beer of Thailand and Coca-Cola are sponsoring this year's championship.

Notes·

Liz Johnson was selected Bowling Writers Association of America Bowler of the Month for September. Johnson, a 27-year-old right-hander from Cheektowaga, N.Y., last month won consecutive Professional Women's Bowling Association events in Florida at the Foundation Games V Championships in Sebring and the Paula Carter Classic in Davie, where she tossed a perfect game in the deciding contest to win her ninth career PWBA title and third of 2001. The following week, Johnson again qualified for the championship round, placing fourth at the Storm Challenge in Cape Coral, Fla. Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of North Richland Hills, Texas, was a distant runner-up in the balloting.