The hunt for a place in Team Bermuda officially begins this week as the island’s elite bowlers take to the lanes for the 2026 National Championship and Selection Trials.
In a grueling test of endurance and technical skill, participants will bowl 30 games across five distinct and challenging professional lane patterns. The bowler atop the standings after the final frame will be crowned the 2026 National Champion and secure a central role in Bermuda’s international summer campaign.
The trials serve as the primary gateway for several major international fixtures later this year:
- CAC Games: Top performers travel to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (July 24 – August 8).
- IBF World Cup: Four spots are available for the prestigious October tournament in Munich, Germany.
- Pan American Champion of Champions: Two bowlers will qualify for the Costa Rican event in late October.
Team Manager Steven Riley expects the demanding “oil patterns” to separate the field.
“The competition will be high, but we expect the scores to reflect the challenging lane patterns used to test the versatility of our bowlers,” Riley noted.
Veterans like Lamar Richardson and Dennis Joell—who recently returned from the World Championships in Hong Kong—are expected to face stiff competition from a surging crop of younger talent.
The Schedule
- Rounds 1 & 2: Jan 17th–18th (6 games each)
- Rounds 3 & 4: Jan 31st – Feb 1st
The Final Round: Sunday, February 8th
