Home W.O.B.A Men’s 3 Day Event
Welcome To The 2017 W.O.B.A Tournament
Brought to You By MVP Sports
You will be glad to know that WOBA is once again alive and well and we are confident that it will soon become the event that bowlers are putting on their annual list as a must play event. A small group of dedicated bowlers and WOBA enthusiasts have been discussing, since last July, the future of WOBA. The group has grown in the past month to include some new blood, some fresh ideas and as a result a plan that we feel will make WOBA the #1 tournament in Canada once again.
WOBA in 2017 will be played as a Men’s only 3 day Team event. For several years WOBA invited and encouraged the women to play in WOBA in the Open events however over the past few years the number of women playing in WOBA has also shown a marked decline.
In contrast, the women have a very successful Ladies 3 Day event in Ontario (that we, MVP Sports also sponsor). Their numbers have not been struck quite so badly by the host of playdowns however it is certainly evident that they are not flocking to WOBA as they did just a few short years ago.
The men on the other hand really have no major event left to them that is open to bowlers from across Canada and the US, offering the highest level of competition. We used to attract many bowlers from out of province and from the far reaches of Ontario. Not so in the last few years.
It was time for a change and we felt there was no better time to make a change than in this the 150th anniversary of Canada. It is time to start another 122 years of WOBA! It is time to get the excitement going again!
Major Changes
Venue: WOBA will be played at Heritage LBC
Format: Men’s 3 Day Team Event
We would like to thank The Fairmont LBC for all their hardwork and commitment over the years with great memories experienced both on and off the greens.
MVP Sports is glad once again to assist WOBA and are extremely pleased with the move to the Heritage greens. We look forward to the days very soon when there will be a waiting list for WOBA and hope that our concept of the Team Game, played with an international flavour will entice everyone to come back to play in the greatest game!
Over the past few years I have become gravely concerned over the health of the WOBA, once considered the pinnacle of week-long tournaments in Ontario… if not Canada. My first experience with WOBA was close to 50 years ago when my father and I first played in the Pairs event. It was an experience I’ll never forget… a challenge against some of the top bowlers in Canada on greens that were exceptional.
Over the years I played in WOBA Fours, Triples, Pairs, Mixed Pairs and Singles and have won my fair share of games in each… lost a bunch too! During WOBA Week I have played at Fairmont, Elmwood, Lambeth, Woodstock and even amidst the methane tubes at Thistle!
From one decade to another changes were made to try and maintain WOBA as a premier event. We all know how all tournaments in recent years have adversely been affected by the over-run of provincial playdowns. Sadly, we have seen many of our favourite tournaments dwindle or disappear altogether. In the last few years WOBA too has been hit by this unfavourable bug and there was fear by many of the long time supporters of the event that it wouldn’t see the light of day in 2017! By 2016 WOBA was down to one green (Fairmont) with fewer than 20% of the entries we remember from “the old days!”
MVP Sports has supported WOBA for close to 20 years and for a good amount of that time we were the primary sponsor for the week. We were however finding it difficult justifying keeping WOBA alive unless some major changes were to be made. Changes that would bring WOBA back to life! Changes that would offer some excitement to the game once again! Changes that wouldn’t make WOBA just another game like any other game we play from one week to the next.
Dan Milligan
MVP Sports
