Champ Belmonte seizes Devil’s Lair challenge with both hands

HOBART will host some of the world’s best ten pin bowlers across the next three days as they go toe to toe with Tasmania and Australia’s No.1 ranked players in the inaugural Devil’s Lair Tasmania.

The maiden three-day event, which starts on Thursday at Moonah’s Zone Bowling Centre, will feature players from the US, Sweden and Poland, as well as Australia’s No.1 ranked Professional Bowlers Association player Jason Belmonte and Tasmania’s best Ashley Riley.

Belmonte, a former world champion and considered one of the best of all time, brought huge attention to the sport as one of the first bowlers to use the two-handed bowling technique.

Meanwhile, Riley, of Devonport, is the winner of four Australian Masters titles along with four world championship gold medals and will now look to add to his trophy cabinet against some of the world’s best on home soil.

The Australian pair will compete in a head-to-head competition against Kyle Troupe (US), Jesper Svenson (Sweden), Daria Pajak (Poland), and Danielle McEwan (US), who have won a combined 27 Professional Bowling Association and Professional Women’s Bowling Association titles between them.

Event director Mark Perry was thrilled to bring such a talented group together as he looked to increase the awareness of the sport.

“It’s pretty emotional to be honest, because it’s been such a long journey for us to get here,” Perry said.

“Bowling can be seen in a funny light in Australia and we are trying to fix that. The game has changed a lot, like a lot of sports have, and it’s all about power and throwing lots of strikes and it’s quite exciting.”

The event runs until Saturday night with a head-to-head final to determine the champion.