Mort Luby reports:
The 43rd annual Bowling World Cup opened
with a gala celebration of Russian history 
and cultureat the Continent Bowling center
Saturday night.
Cossack dancers (pictured) filled the air with stomping
and shouting as bowlers from some 90 nations
paraded across the host center's 32 lanes.
As swords and spears rent the air, nearby
scoring devices twirled above.
Speakers from principal sponsor QubicaAMF
Worldwide and various Russian sports
federations promised the greatest edition in
the event's storied history.
Contestants got their first taste of real
action Sunday morning as the opening
six-game block of qualifying got underway.
In a foretaste of the high scoring expected
during the week-long event, Paulo Lopes of
Portugal paced the opening session with a
230 average, including a 279 high game.
The tournament concludes next Saturday with
a televised grand finale. photo: Mort Luby
Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the
Americas posted the top scores and occupy
the first four places after the opening
squad Sunday morning.
It is perhaps a surprise that Portugal's
Paulo Lopes heads 1988 World Cup champion
Mohammed Al-Qubaisi who has a soft spot for
Mexico as he won in
Guadalajara and was second six years
later in Hermosillo. He added another notch
by placing joint third in Lisbon in 2000.
There are a further 43 competitors to
complete their first six qualifying games
and that squad includes fancied favorites
Jason Belmonte of Australia and Team USA's
Bill Hoffman.
Second squad
And, indeed, as the rest of the men
completed their stint, those two talented
tenpinners did lead the field and Australia
and the United States are the strongest
contenders, both beating the 1400-barrier
.
 Belmonte
(pictured), he with the unique two-handed
delivery, is having a great year though
2007, gleaning titles on many continents and
Hoffman was one of the successful quintet
when the Americans took on Europe in the
recent Weber Cup in England, so neither can
be called a 'flash in the pan'.
Jason commented
afterwards: ‘It may sound strange but I
found it hard out there. I really had to
work for the score, so I’m pleased to be in
top spot so far. But I know it’s early days.
I’m going to try and relax now by learning
how to play Russian billiards!’
Lucas Wiseman of USBC reports that
Bill Hoffman said:
"My preparation started
before I even got on the plane,
I put all my balls on a
spinner, researched the lane condition and
had a plan as to what ball I was going to
throw and how I was going to attack the
lanes before the tournament even started."
So what was the plan?
Hoffman is tight lipped on that matter
because he doesn't want to give the other 83
players in the men's field any extra help.
"Ask me on November 11 after I've won the
title, and I'll tell you all about my plan,"
Hoffman joked.
 Ildemaro
Ruiz of
Venezuela
(pictured) made a
storming start to his 43rd
QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup career when in
his fifth game of six qualifying games he
hit the event's first
300.
The 21-year-old
economist from the town of
Lara
delighted the spectators in the Kontinent
bowling center. It
is not his first 300 but it is his first in
a major international tournament.
Lopes, leader after the first squad, now
drops to fourth place.
It must have come as a tremendous
disappointment for England's Paul Moor,
currently down in 49th place. As three-time
European rankings champion and second to
Osku Palermaa in this year's tables, leftie
Moor was expected to be up among the leaders
at this stage.
Photo of Ruiz by Hero Noda,
QubicaAMF
THE LUBY LOG:
Jason Belmonte, the famed two-handed
Australian sensation who took the
qualifying lead Sunday in the Bowling
World Cup, said he feared two men more
than any others in the 90-nation field:
Bill Hoffman and Andres Gomez.
Hoffman, the much decorated American
who held second place after the first
day, was an understandable pick. But
Gomez, who hails from Colombia, was a
less obvious choice.
"He has the perfect ball for this (high
scoring) condition," said the
24-year-old superstar from Orange, New
South Wales. "Besides, he has a very
good record in this tournament." Gomez
has bowled five times in the World Cup,
placing as high as ninth.
"Also, you've got to worry about
Mohammed Qubaisi (of United Arab
Emirates). He's bowled in this thing so
many times, he knows it by heart."
Qubaisi won in 1988 and has been a
contender many times.
Men's Qualifying Rounds
Standings courtesy: qubicaamf .com
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For further information, contact Keith Hale:
keithhale679@aol.com;
www.qubicaamf.com
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