25th June, Bangkok: The World Tenpin Bowling Association has announced the 2014 WTBA World Youth Championship will be contested in Hong Kong, while Lincoln, Nebraska, in the United States will host the 2016 event.

The WTBA Executive Committee announced the selections at its meeting, which is taking place alongside the 2012 World Youth Championships this week in Bangkok, Thailand.

"We were so enamored by the quality of both bids that the WTBA Executive Committee took the extraordinary step of awarding the World Youth Championships to both locations," WTBA President and CEO Kevin Dornberger said. "Hong Kong and Lincoln both offered the perfect recipe of what we expect from hosts for one of our most important championship events."

The 2014 World Youth Championships will take place at Hong Kong Bowling City, which last year played host to the World Women’s Championships. The event is slated to take place in the first half of August 2014.

"After successfully hosting the World Women’s Championships last year, Hong Kong looks forward to the opportunity to host the world’s best youth bowlers," Hong Kong Tenpin Bowling Congress Chairman Vivien Lau said. "We welcome all federations to send their top youth players to enjoy all that Hong Kong has to offer."

The City of Lincoln will host the World Youth Championships at Sun Valley Lanes in July 2016. It will mark the first time the state of Nebraska has hosted any WTBA championship event.

"Bowling and other great sporting events have a long-standing tradition here in Lincoln," said Jeff Maul, Executive Director of the Lincoln Convention and Visitor's Bureau.

"We are fortunate to have the opportunity to partner with the Lincoln Bowling Association and Sun Valley Lanes to host the 2016 World Youth Championships in Lincoln. This event highlights the professional staff and atmosphere at Sun Valley Lanes, many teams from across the world, and will provide bowling enthusiasts in Lincoln the opportunity to support those athletes during their visit."

The World Tenpin Bowling Association, which is made up of 115 bowling federations, governs the sport throughout the world.

Source: WTBA Press Release dated 25 June, 2012.