KUWAIT: The Indian Bowling League (IBL) after a successful first season commenced with season 2 of their tournament on August 12, 2011

. Now in its third week the IBL has seen quite a turnout this season, from 7 teams last season to an impressive 16 team participating this time. Matches take place every Friday from 1:30 to 4:30 P.M. at Cosmos bowling centre in Salmiya.

Relative to its context, Kuwait, bowling is very quickly growing to epic proportions. More and more alleys are popping up around the country and it seems to be a very popular recreational activity. There exists however a divide, between those who are known as casual bowlers and regular bowlers. For those of us who end up buying our own equipment like shoes, bowling balls and bowling bags as well as various accessories, we need a constant competitive and motivational environment. Fortunately, these environments exist. The IBL is one, and promises to deliver so much to its participants.

Once a week, 4-man teams compete on a round-robin basis for glory and bragging rights. The league's system considers bowlers on various levels and caters to the seasoned veterans as well as the fledgling rookies. The IBL provides fun and recreation on top of competitive focus. The league's ranking is split into 3 levels, designed to allow all levels of skill to stand a chance to compete. Despite its name, various nationalities play together and even Kuwait's resident Bowling Federation is participating.

After the first week, Federation Bowlers notched up the top spot in the Championship Group, followed closely by West End Watches, StreetBowlers and Spare Us. The teams beyond the 4th ranking fall into the Intermediate Group. Whiplash, Al Qwassem, Kegler Strikers, Alleygatorz and No Strikes all jumped in the group after their first week performance. The last group, Greenie Group, comprised of I Bowl, Solo Sorisso, Pinpointers, Amaya, Petrolink, Firefly and Bowling Stones. The Men's Weekly High Game went to Andrew Frawley who bowled a massive near-perfect 299 game, and the Ladies' Weekly High Game was bowled by Ramona Soares chalking up a 259 game. The Team Weekly High Game went to Federation Bowlers with a whopping 2518.

The second week saw a shuffle in the rankings and new holders of the Weekly High Games. After the Friday afternoon contest, West End Watches, Federation Bowlers, Spare Us and Al Qwassem took up the Championship Group spots. The Intermediate Group now consisted of Street Bowlers, No Strikes, Firefly, Solo Sorisso and Whiplash. Following on, in the Greenie Group, was Kegler Strikers, Alleygatorz, Pinpointers, I Bowl, Amaya, Bowling Stones and Petrolink. The Men's Weekly High Game was taken by Kuwait's very own 12 Year Old Moustafa Mousawi, who bowled a 256 game. The Ladies' Weekly High Game was snapped up by Nasha King with a 220 game, and the Team Weekly High Game spot went to Al Qwassem, who totaled a respectable 2569 series.

Further match-ups are proving to bring in lots of fun and competition. So early in the league, the rankings are fickle, making times very exciting indeed. The IBL's system accommodates bowlers of various skill levels and is definitely worth looking into in the future if you're looking to satisfy your bowling appetite.