Bermuda's top bowlers have been stepping up their training at Warwick Lanes in preparation for the Pan-American Games which get under way in the Dominican Republic at the beginning of next month.

Two members of this current squad, which consists of June Dill, Diane Ingham, Steven Riley and Bermuda's top bowler Antoine Jones, have already experienced the sweet taste of success on the international stage, winning the silver medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.

Dill, who managed the team in Malaysia, described the achievement as "the great highlight in the history of bowling in Bermuda".

Nevertheless, the Pan-American Games, with the added involvement of American and Canadian teams, is a much more demanding proposition.

Dill is well aware of the difficult task that lays ahead of them.

"The competition will be extremely keen with the Americans and the Canadians at the Games.

"All of them are world class players with many years of international experience."

However, under the expert eye of Mo Pinel, a coach of world renown, as well as the help of a new lane oiling machine, the Bermudian squad members have been preparing in a more professional and sophisticated manner in order to confront the challenge head on.

"In bowling the lanes are prepared using different oiling patterns," Dill explained.

"Using our new oiling machine, we have been able to align the oil patterns at Warwick Lanes to that of the venue in the Dominican Republic.

"This makes our training much more profitable and realistic and ensures that we will have less trouble adapting to the different conditions out there.

"Mo's help and advice has also been brilliant so far.

"We are very lucky to have him here with us."

Pinel has focused the training more specifically on the technicalities of execution: biomechanical adjustments, power, control and body position.

He has also tried to make sure that each member of the squad devotes a more significant amount of time and thought towards learning how to cope with the taxing mental rigours of top-flight bowling.

"If we are going to compete and be successful, this type of sophisticated preparation is absolutely crucial," Dill said.

The team will also be receiving brand new equipment before the start of the Games.

Pinel, who owns a bowling ball company and designs the balls himself, has made sure that each individual member will have equipment tweaked to match their own personal requirements.

"He has designed and mapped out balls for all of us and seen to it that everybody has what they need," said Riley.

Despite the high quality of competition that the Bermudians will encounter at the Games, Dill is confident that the new training regime and custom-made equipment made available to them, will put the squad in with a fighting chance of success come August.

"Bowling is a very unpredictable sport.

"Reputations can be thrown out of the window once a tournament actually starts. On the day, anybody can shine," Dill said.