The first ever team to represent Turkey in flat green bowling have just returned from the 7th European Bowling Union Championships in Paphos, Cyprus.

Four of the founder members of ơliş Bowling Club, which was the first flat green bowling club in Turkey, Jim & Rosemerie Bridge, Mark & Joanne Pietsch had a very successful week at the competiton.

There were 14 countries taking part including England, Scotland, Ireland, Israel, Guernsey, Cyprus , & Germany who were also competing for the first time.

The team received a very warm welcome from all the players & officials, and were made to feel like stars-being interviewed for newspapers & television.

"We felt like we were in the Olympics as all the teams had to take part in the Opening & Closing ceremonies and the matches were filmed throughout the week, we also each received a medal" said Rosemerie.

All the team members had memorable games.

One of which was when Joanne won a match against the ladies world outdoor bowling champion, Alison Merrien from Guernsey

"It was a very relaxed game, I just knew her as Ally who I’d played the previous day in a pairs match with Jim" said Joanne

"little did I realize that she was the woman who had been crowned Sports Personality of the Year for the Channel Islands just 2 weeks before!"
 
Jim & Mark both had great games against England internationals Simon Skelton & Nicky Brett.

The pairs combination of Mark & Rosemerie narrowly missed out on a win against the eventual EBU Championship winners, Scotland.

In fact, Rosemerie finished with the highest individual points for Turkey

"She’ll never let me forget that!" said her husband Jim who, being the most experienced bowler of the four, coached his team during the week.

"They have all learnt so much from this fantastic experience" he said.

One of the principal aims of the team taking part in the competition was to spread the word about flat green bowling being possible in Turkey to the worldwide bowling community.

‘Once we are able to build an internationally acceptable standard of green here then that will open the floodgates for winter bowling tourism, also attracting high-calibre bowlers to play in competitions.

We are already talking to the deputy president of the Turkish Bocce Bowling & Darts Federation who has contacted me to develop our sport within Turkey’ said Joanne ‘indeed our vision is that at the next EBU Championships to be held in 2011 there will be Turkish nationals representing their country at flat green bowling’.