Objectives of the ADFBC

The Objectives of the Club are:
1. To enhance the professional growth and welfare of its members.
2. To uplift their common good through active participation of its members in sports
     and other social activities.
3. To promote genuine spirit of brotherhood and camaraderie.
4. To encourage the young Filipino generation in the participation and appreciation
     of the game of bowling.

History  of ADFBC

It's  all  started  with  the passion  of bowling.   Filipinos  throughout   Abu Dhabi,  found  a sport that  enhanced  the professional growth  and welfare  of the Filipino  Community   through  active participation   in bowling  and promote genuine  spirit  of broth- erhood  and camaraderie.  The beginnning  of the Abu Dhabi  Filipino  Bowling  club  started in Hilton  Hotel Bowling  Center  in Abu Dhabi  in  1988.

With  a small group  of Filipino  bowler  enthusiasts,  like Dr. Amy  Espiritu,  Jun Simon, Jean Sumo, Art Andrade,  Lito Manzana, Lorna  Mc Donald,  Rose Swan,  LIto Yamsuan,  Neil  Santiago  and Bodjet Lecitona,  to name a few and started  playing  at the Hilton  Hotel Bowling  Center. As time went  on, the group  of bowlers  became bigger and bigger .

. The year  1989 when  bowling  started  to excel with  the Sport  Committee  of the United  Filipino  Association  of the  Emirates (UFAE),  headed by Mr.  Iun Tiu,  conducting   the first  of several  series of tournaments   at Hilton  Hotel  Bowling  Center. With the success of the bowling  tournaments,   the group  became stronger.

The breakthrough   came in  1991, with  the help and generosity  of Mr. Ben Delgado,  the Manager  of Tourist Club Center, also known  to the orginal  bowlers  as the  "Father  of the  Filipino  Bowling  Club".  The   Bowling  Center was opened  to the public which  provided  a large space for  the growing  group.  In  1992, The  Filipino  Bowling Club was  officially   organized  and  Mr. Bodjet Lecitona became the first  Chairman  and President of the Filipino Bowling  Club, under the auspicious  of the Philippine Embassy which  was  headed by our  dear Ambassador,   His Excellency  Fortunato  Oblena.  In  1993, the  last Abu  Dhabi  AII- Filipino  Invitational   Bowling  Cup was held at Tourist  Bowling  Center.  Filipinos  throughout   the Emirates  from  Dubai,  Ajman and Ruwais came to Abu Dhabi to compete with  other Filipino  Bowlers with  common  interest.  This developed  unity  amongst Filipinos  not just in the city  of Abu Dhabi  but through  out the Emirates.

In  1994, together  with  the growing   number  of enthusiast   bowlers,  a new  club  was created  and  officially  called  the  "Abu Dhabi  Filipino  Bowling  Club"   (ADFBC). With  the creation  of the new bowling  club  came the new elected President  in per- son of Mr. jun Simon, as the second President of the Abu Dhabi  Filipino  Bowling Club. Mr.Simon  as president,  with his character and personality   provided  a term  and an atmosphere  that presented many  surprises  of fun  and laughters  throughout his reign. TheADFBC is currently  governed  of its By-Laws  and Rules and Regulations.  The Club is a regular  member  of the United  Filipino  Bowlers of the United Arab Emirates (UFB-UAE) and became a member of Philippine  Bowling  Congress (PBC).

In  1999, ADFBC was  relocated  to Sh. Khalifa  International   Bowling  Center and currently   the official  home of the Club. The center  houses  40 lanes facility  which  provided  esteem for the fast growing  club's  activties.  The center also provides  a facil- ity to support  large tournaments.

Today,  ADFBC hosts numerous  bowling  tournaments   at Sh. Khalifa  International   Bowling  Center, All Members I st and 2nd Inter-Commercial,    Masters,  International    Masters,  Grand  Masters,  Doubles,  Trio  and  Asian Open,  to  name  a  few.  The ADFBC annual  calendar  consist  of hosting or participating   in tournaments   such as the GCC All-Filipino.   Today  ADFBC hosts and organizes  numerous  bowling  tournaments   at Khalifa International   Bowling  Center   - All  Members.   I st and  2nd Inter  - Commercial,  Grand  Prix, Masters, International   Masters,  Grand  Masters,  Singles, Doubles,  Trio  and Asian  open toName  a few. The ADFBC annual  calendar  consists  of hosting  or partlcipatlng  in tournaments   such as the Gulf  Cooperation  Council (GCC) All-Filipino    Bowling  Tour  and  UFB-UAE Invitational.   The UFB-UAE Invitational   Tournament   is being held alternately iri Abu Dhabi  and Dubai  which  is hosted  and attended  by various  Filipino  Bowling  Clubs from Abu Dhabi,  Dubai,  Sharjah, Ajman  and Ras AI Khamiah.

The GCC All-Filipino   Tournament   aims to gather  all Filipino  bowling  Clubs throughout   the six Middle  East Countries  name- ly,  United  Arab  Emirates,  Kingdom  of Bahrain,  State of Qatar,  Sultanate  of Oman,  State of Kuwait  and  Kingdom  of Saudi Arabia.

Next year,  the  I I th GCC will  be hosted  and organized  by UFB-UAE  and Abu  Dhabi  Filipino  Bowling  Club respectively  for the period  August  4-8,  2008.

ADFBC also support  various  Charitable  Institutions  in the Philippines  like the Bantay  Bata  163, Gawad  Kalinga Foundation, GMA Classroom  Project  and others.  It gives assistance  to distress  members by conducting   "Bowl for a Cause" tournaments to raise funds.


By:  Mr. Neil Santiago (ADFBC Adviser 2013)