2002 Australian FIQ Selection Trials.

[Andrew Frawley]

Information for all Australian male Bowlers who would like to play in the 2002 National Adult Team to compete in Hong Kong late june early July 2002

The TBA selection trial for 3 spots in the Mens Adult team will be decided during the qualifying section of the Australian Open 2002.

The AMF Australian Open will now be contested over 4 days, Good Friday, Saturday, Easter Sunday and the finals on Easter Monday. AMF has agreed to have 18 games qualifying, 6 games each day.

Qualifying for the FIQ team will be based on a points system on the results of each days qualifying, with total pinfall only used to break a tie on points.

After the 3 days of qualifying the top 3 bowlers who have paid the $40 fee will be in the 2002 Australian Mens team.
The other 3 places will be selected by the national coaches and selectors from the 2002 National Training Squad.

The 3 qualifying bowlers will have to abide by the same rules as existing National Training squad members, so they will have apply and rolloff for their respective States. Please note, if nomination or roll off dates for your Rachiug team are before easter, you will have to nominate or you will be unable to be a part of the FIQ selection trial.

PLEASE NOTE: this selection trial is open to any registered male TBA bowler who enters the Australian Open and pays the extra $40 nomination fee. (Naturally you must be an Australian citizen)

AMF have agreed to have an independent person condition the lanes for the tournament. This person will be FIQ approved lane maintanence personnel using Kegel sanction technology. They will not be a resident of Australia.

The times of qualifying and the format for the rest of the tournament are being set by AMF, but I do know that squads on Good Friday will be a little later so interstate bowlers can fly or drive in that same day.

This opportunity for male bowlers to make their national team is based on the TBA board's objectives to give as many bowlers as possible a pathway to the national team. Through the TBA Ranking system, the board can see that Australia has a growing number of elite male bowlers, and sometimes whatever the system many bowlers do not get the same opportunities as others.
WELL HERE IT IS.

The Australian Open 2002 will be a huge event 3 days qualifying with a chance to make the FIQ team, great prizemoney, independant lane dressing..this is big.

This post is just to let you know about what is going on, book your airline tickets, accommodation. AMF have told me that entry forms will be out at the SA CUP.

There will be rolloffs for the ladies and youth FIQ teams, but not at easter. The TBA office will be sending out notification of these rolloffs once the centre is confirmed, within the next 2 weeks.

I say to any male out there who believes that he is good enough to to be in his National team...take this opportunity and run with it.

Any questions, comments I will do my best.

Andrew Frawley
Currently wearing TBA Board member hat.

 

[GeorgeF]

Frawls

I commend TBA on this decision and I think you'll be getting entries from every man and his dog (even some Queenslanders). I have only 3 questions

1. When is the Australian Training Squad names released?

2. Are the other 3 spots to be picked from the remaining training squad members who are not in the top 3?

3. Can youth / junior bowlers make the National mens team under this format?

Yours in bowling

George

 

[wchester]

I have a serious question for you Andrew....
Do you have to be an Australian Citizen or only a permanent resident?
Please quote the exact wording for me..thanks

 

[Andrew Frawley]

George,
I believe the training squad will be named late January.
The 3 remaining spots will be from the training squad, if 2 from the training squad make the top 3 in the selection trials on points, the next 3 will still be picked from the training squad.
Reserves will be from the training squad, 4th place on points in the selection trial will not replace a bowler who pulls out or is deemed ineligible.
Youth bowlers who pay the $40 will have just as much chance as anyone else.

Wayne,
I will check the training squad and or FIQ rules.
AF

 

[JoSpencer]

Frawls, are you saying that you can make the top 3 and even if you have not been selected for the NTS you still make the FIQ Team?

What is the point in nominating for the NTS? Brings this process into question I feel???

Jo

 

[JoSpencer]

What about the Women's Selection / Trial?

 

[Andrew Frawley]

Jo,
Hope this helps,
For the men yes you can be not a member of the NTS and still make the team. But let's be honest here, if we are talking about 20- 25 men in the NTS just how many of those who are not in the NTS are going to make the top 3.
Don't think that this event is going to be like any other tournament,you know as anyone who has played FIQ is it is not the talent but the format that troubles our best the most. 6 game blocks with changing lanes after each game..we don't exactly do that at all here in Australia.

This selection trial is in that format with testing FIQ lane conditions. My prediction ..the best will prevail. It has happened in the youth rolloffs and it will happen in the Adult one as well. If that means that a bowler who is not in the NTS makes the team, perhaps he is the type of player who will excell in the FIQ type of format.

Please remember this rolloff is not total pinfall for 18 games, that would be too easy. Just like FIQ you need to show up in one or more of the 6 game blocks and be consistent in the other, just like what is required when you are in the team overseas, if you bowl 1090 for your singles and run 45th but shoot 1340 in doubles and win a medal your playing FIQ , each day is a new event with new results, players who make great FIQ bowlers are the ones who don't let a bad result ruin their whole week. You and your country need results and those results are medals. When it come time to go back to the sports Commission and ask for funding for the National team you can bet what the first question is...how did you go last time?

Why a rolloff?
We have been informed by the Sports Commission that all sports funded by them that can have selection based on trials should do it. They do not want to have any increase in sport arbitration hearings re selection process.

As far as the ladies and youth go, the rolloff will be for the NTS. 3 Ladies will be selected and 3 will gain postions from a 24 game rolloff. In the youth 2 will be selected and 2 from the rolloff.

The reason why a rolloff for the ladies
is not connected with a tournament is that there is not one that the lane conditions can be controlled by and outside body. What use is there having a rolloff on a house shot when speed and accuracy are required on FIQ based conditions.

anything else?
Andrew.

 

[philby]

Andrew good to see Australia finally seeing the light or at least somebody at TBA. To long have we been sending teams overseas with no real chance to compete. Hope this process becomes the norm

 

[JoSpencer]

Andrew

Now we know we are having a Roll Off when is it scheduled for the Women? Hopefully we will be given sufficient notice to arrange time off work, flights, etc

If you know we would appreciate knowing also.

Thanks

Jo

 

[Andrew Frawley]

Jo,
There are a couple of things looming re both ladies and youth, should be worked out by the end of the week.
AF

 

[Brett Riley]

Andrew,
Thanks for posting the info regarding the Fiq roll off for 2002.

Just a couple of questions that were asked last night while we were looking through the post.

You have said that youth bowlers can try out for the team, whereas there has been an attempt to keep seperate youth and adult teams for the past 2 years.

Secondly, When will the official condition be laid down for general use. Will it be just on the first day of the tournament, a few days or weeks before.
The reason for asking is will the local bowlers get the advantage of practicing on the condition before everyone else arrives.

Thanks.

 

[Brenton Davy]

Brett,

I doubt the tournament condition will be laid down too long before the event, I can imagine the local league bowlers having an absolute spaz attack if they had to bowl on a real FIQ condition, LOL.

I think this is a good move by TBA, but I do have one question, If a lady bowler decides to bowl AO instead of Vic 150 and makes the top 3, would that automatically make them eligible for the womens team?

 

[Andrew Frawley]

Brett,
Yes you are right the last trip away the move was to get youth to concentrate on youth and get some new adults in the adult team. 2 years later and we have more youth bowlers that have a lot more experience at the bigger tourneys so I am sure that some have come under notice for selection.

The other problem was cost with 2 trips to the Middle east costing bowlers and officals over $1500 just to go, not to mention costs when you are there.

2002 is different with 2 trips to South east Asia with airfares, accomm cheaper as well as an increase in Government support meaning bowlers will pay substantially less, I hope more than 2/3rds less than the Arab trips.

As far as the lanes go, there is no way that anyone is going to get practice on the condition before anyone else, that is just plain unfair. We will be asking AMF for 15 min practice before each 1st squad on Good Friday to let bowlers tune up equipment etc.

Brenton, the ladies team will already have been decided by then as we are hoping to announce the date of the rolloff for that team in the next 2 days.

Also we will be announcing the rolloff date and location for the youth rolloff by Friday.
AF

 

[Brett Riley]

Thanks Andrew, that has more than covered the questions that were posed to me.

Regards,

 

[Michael Little]

Frawls,

Can I ask what the purpose of nominating for training squad was if a) you dont have to be a part of it to make an FIQ team which I thought that you guys have been pushing as a pathway to doing so and b) for those that have paid their $20 nomination fee for the training squad, do they now only have to pay $20 instead of $40 if they wish to rolloff during AO? I also realise that you are selecting the remaining members from the squad.

Considering that now youth and adult can be combined, will youth players be included in an adult squad, and what numbers are they looking at for each of the squads? Also when is the youth team heading to Thailand?

I think the new look format for AO is going to be a great challenge and the rolloff structure favours only those who are consistantly on their game. Outside lane maintenance is a definite improvement.

 

[Andrew Frawley]

Michael,
I understand kinda what you are saying, there will be over 20 guys on each of the training squads ie youth and adult. Quite obviously any of these bowlers are good enough to run in the top 3 so there is a good argument that the magority of the 6 bowlers who end up being the team will be from either training squad.

With over 500 individuals who entered the ranked events this year, there is also an argument that there must be some bowlers who slip through the eyes of selectors.
It's all about being open, giving opportunity to all bowlers in an enviornment that puts everyone on as level playing field as possible. Thats something that has not happened in this country for a long time.

I can't give you an answer re nomination fees but I am sure something will be worked out that is suitable, and your suggestion is reasonable. The income of nominations is going directly to cover costs of the Kegel/Foundation member that has already confirmed he will be attending.

I would like to state here and now that it is no use asking me what the lane conditions will be like, the brief given to Kegel is for like FIQ zone and world tournament conditions, obviously one that may be used in Hong Kong in 2002. He is hoping to arrive 3 days before the event to test the machine, lane topography and will be asking for a couple of bowlers who are not playing the tournament to have a bowl so he can assess ball reaction.

The Thailand trip is in early August I think, I will find out tomorrow and post it.

Details of the youth rolloff should also be posted tomorrow.
AF

 

[Michael Little]

Frawles,

I have just read that the ladies FIQ roll offs will be held at the Ladies Adelaide Cup.
I have a question.
Who will be in charge of the lane conditions?

Not that it really matters, if you want to be in the team you have to bowl anyway.

I was not going to the tournament before I read the December newsletter from the TBA.
Last time I went I decided I was never bowling there again..
I know that everyone will be saying that you should be able to bowl on anything, but it was a bit of a joke..
It was unlike any FIQ condition I've seen.
The conditions may have changed, I havent been back for two years.
For Australias sake I really hope the conditions will be different, otherwise you'll end up with people who are not able to bowl on oil, but only know how to belt the ball down the lane and hope to god it hits in the vicinity of the headpin.(no offense to anyone)
I really hope it will be the same as the Mens roll offs, with you being able to control what conditions get put down.

Amanda

 

[Michael Little]

Sorry Frawles,
I just read your previous post about not knowing what the conditions will be like.
Short n Sweet, Will an outsider be doing the lanes for the Ladies Adelaide Cup.
If not I guess we will have to turn up and hope for the best.
Amanda

 

[Andrew Frawley]

In reply to Amanda, there will be a desigated lane person to do the lanes at the Ladies Adelaide cup, it will not be the staff at Norwood. Not that they are no good but the person doing the lanes will be using a Kegel machine so they must be trained in it's use.

TBA has a number of set FIQ standard conditions sent to them by the Kegel company who have been in charge of all Zone and World FIQ tournament pattern for the past 3 years. At least one of those patterns will be used.
Like the mens event no bowler will have the chance to practice on the lanes before the event. Same thing As the AO, TBA will be requesting at lest 10-15 minutes warm up so bowlers can fine tune equipment or maybe just slow that ball speed a little....hint hint.

With only 48 spots open for the ladies cup I urge all ladies interested not only rolling off for the team, but interested what it takes to bowl on a challenging lane condition to get their entry in early.
For Sydney based bowlers you can fly Virgin there Friday night for $120 and Qantas back sunday night for $135. I could not work out any way of getting there cheaper.

On behalf of the chairperson of TBA I would lake to thank Norwood Bowl, it's manager Renzo, and Jo Spencer for co ordinating this chance to combine tournament and roll off. As Brenton said if we are to have a compromise this looks the best way for all concerned.
AF

 

[Bert]

Frawls

I was talking to Rob Z on the weekend in relation to the 3 FIQ position up for grabs at the Aust Open. Rob said that even if you pay your $40 and finnish as a top 3 qualifier, you still have to meet NTS criteria. IE have bowled in 4 National Tourn's in 2001, not including Rachuig trials.

Is this so ???? Ive read back through the posts in relation to this subject and cannot find anything mention along those lines.


Brett Smith