Federation for his long service to the sport which spans back to the 1960s.

Dowling was recently presented with a crystal bowl and certificate by BBF president Judy Lowe at Warwick Lanes in recognition of his contribution over the past 30 years.

Dowling first remembers getting involved with the fledgling sport in 1962, the year after it was introduced to Bermuda. In those days there were three bowling alleys, the Lilly Bowl in Hamilton Parish on the sight of the MarketPlace, the Hamilton Bowl on Victoria Street and the Warwick Bowl, which has since been reopened as Warwick Lanes and is owned and run by the Bowling Club.

"We went through a high, a low and now a high again,'' said Dowling who recalls the sport "taking off with a bang'' in 1961. All three bowling alleys closed before Warwick Lanes was eventually reopened.

"For a while we did not have any bowling and the bowlers themselves formed the Bermuda Bowling Club and with the help of Government were able to take over the assets of the defunct company and open Warwick Lanes,'' said Dowling.

Warwick Lanes is now a beehive of activity seven nights a week, hosting some 12 leagues, other tournaments as well as the general public. From an initial 16 lanes, the facility grew to 20 and now has 24.

To be recognised for his part in the sport's growth, said Dowling, was an honour.

"I feel good about it because I enjoy what I'm doing, and from all indications everybody is pleased with what I do and how I do it and consequently they honoured me for that.'' Dowling is a past president of the Bermuda Bowling Association and one of the major leagues as well as secretary of another. He also organises and runs tournaments, including the Cup Match event and the American Airlines Bowling Spectacular, which has been running for 20 years.

"When I started (the American Airlines) the good bowlers were always winning tournaments and going abroad to represent Bermuda, so I started mainly for the lower bowlers, to give them the opportunity to win something.

"I had no idea it would last for 20 years although it was my desire that it would be a good tournament. However, it has turned out to be one of the most popular.

"This year being our 20th anniversary we had our best turnout, with over 100 bowlers each week during nine weeks of qualifying rounds. Every year it has grown and grown and grown.'' So pleased are the sponsors, they have committed to another five years of sponsorship.

This year, through entry fees, some $13,000 was presented in prize money as Conrad Lister won the high series scratch prize and Earl Smith the high series handicap award, as well as air tickets to London. Patricia Price and Karon Wolffe, the two runners-up, were awarded air tickets to the USA, Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean.

Because of the work that goes into running that tournamnent, Dowling seldom gets the chance to participate himself. "I bowled one week and I bowl when I think I can and when there is sufficient staff to handle the paperwork associated with it,'' he explained.

"But I do bowl in other tournaments and I do bowl in the Mixed Majors and the Sportsmen's League. I was also honoured by the Mixed Majors Bowling League in May of this year as a former president of that league and for my contribution to bowling.'' Dowling represented Bermuda in 1968 in Miami at the Tournament of the Americas which involved all the bowling countries in the western hemisphere.

In that same year he founded the Bermuda Bowling Senate which is an affiliate of the National Bowling Association of the United States and took 65 bowlers to one of their tournaments in Los Angeles in the late 1970s. That was the biggest Bermudian contingent ever for a single tournament.

Seeing the need to be unified in order to compete more internationally, Dowling began the move to form the Bermuda Bowling Federation 15 years ago.

"We had to have bowling under one umbrella because at that time we had three associations all doing their own thing,'' Dowling stated.

"As a result of the Federation now being formed we will be represented in the Olympics. There is the men's association which is affiliated with the American Bowling Congress, the women's association which is affiliated with the American Women's Association and the Junior Association which is affiliated with the juniors.

"They each have their individual programmes but on the Federation are representatives of all three associations. It is demanded internationally that one organisation represents each country.'' From the days when Quinton Hayward and Hattieanne Morrissette were two of the top bowlers locally, a new crop of top bowlers have emerged like Dean Lightbourne, Lister, Antoine Jones and Bobbie Ingham.

"The sport of bowling is much better organised now than it was before,'' Dowling said.

"I don't think anyone has achieved on an international level what Dean Lightbourne has achieved. On an equal level, but maybe not having achieved the same goals, are Conrad Lister who won the American Airlines Tournament, Antoine Jones and Bobbie Ingham who has made some inroads internationally.'' LIONEL DOWLING receives an award from Judy Lowe, president of the Bermuda Bowling Federation, in recognition of his contribution to the sport.