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Al-Ahram Weekly 21 - 28 January 1999 Issue No. 413 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 21 - 28 January 1999 Issue No. 413
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Focus Economy Opinion Culture Features Living Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Bowled over during Ramadan
By Eman Abdel-MoetiBowling came into its own during Ramadan, attracting fans who arrived after iftar and stayed until the early hours of the morning.
The main attraction was the tournament organised by the Bowling Federation, headed by Hanafi Riad and managed by Saleh Darwish. It ran throughout Ramadan, offering exciting competition and great prizes.
The tournament kicked off simultaneously in Cairo, Hurghada and Alexandria, with the three cities playing host to a total of 76 competitors.
Each player took part in three rounds, comprising six games each. The final match, a separate round-robin for the male and female events, was held last Saturday at the International Bowling Centre in Nasr City. Taking part were the eight men and eight women who scored the highest points during the tournament.
There was a high turnout of bowling fans at the centre, many of whom are regular players themselves. Over the past two years a number of bowling centres have sprouted up around Cairo.
The men's event witnessed keen competition between Yannis Argerios, Alaa Gabr, Salah El-Tukhy, Adel El-Attar and Mohamed Ibrahim. Ibrahim was the only Egyptian to qualify for the AMF World Cup held in Cairo last year. But last Saturday, he was not in top form and had to withdraw from the last game.
In the men's finals, Gabr with 3703 points, Argerios with 3657 points and El-Attar with 3598 points, qualified for the 'step-ladder' event, in which the two contestants with the lowest scores play each other and the winner takes on the player with the highest score. Argerios took first place, followed by Gabr and El-Attar.
In the women's event, Youpin Lacampaha with 3690 points, Suzan El-Ezabi with 3234 points and Sherin El-Gohary with 3269 points, qualified for the step-ladder. El-Ezabi took first place, beating Lacampaha in the final game. El-Gohary was placed third, her best achievement this year.
The Bowling Federation will hold another tournament in Hurghada from 25 to 27 February.
Hanafi Riad said the federation is hoping to have a professional national team within three years, which will compete in international tournaments.
The federation is also talking to other federations in Arab countries about holding Arab tournaments.
