A Swedish bowling proprietor and co-founder of the Lucky Larsen Masters tournament, Daniel Rönnbäck, filed a lawsuit against the International Bowling Federation (IBF) seeking nearly $60,000 in alleged unpaid compensation for work performed for the organization.
The lawsuit, obtained by BowlingLife, details the claims and the legal basis for Rönnbäck's action.
Rönnbäck, operating under Dasum Bowling AB, has requested the court to compel IBF to pay Dasum Bowling AB a total of $59,881, plus interest until full payment is made.
Basis for the Claim
According to the lawsuit, between December 2020 and July 2022, Daniel Rönnbäck undertook various tasks for IBF, including work related to the 2021 IBF World Championships in Dubai and the 2022 World Games in Alabama, United States. The work performed by Rönnbäck was based on an agreement between himself and the officials of the IBF. Rönnbäck claims in the lawsuit that the work he did benefited IBF and that the amount of $59,881 represents reasonable compensation for his work and associated expenses.
According to the lawsuit, IBF initiated Rönnbäck's reimbursement in September 2021, when IBF made a one-time payment. Unfortunately, that turned out to be a just a one-time thing.
Over the past few years, Rönnbäck has repeatedly sought the remaining compensation from IBF and even offered a settlement to waive 50% of the agreed salary.
Initially citing administrative issues as the reason for non-payment, in August 2023, IBF formally denied Rönnbäck's claim for compensation through their lawyers. Despite Rönnbäck's response and initiation of further dialogue, he received no further communication. Following a reminder sent on May, 2024, IBF reiterated their denial a month later, on June, 2024.
Dispute Over Authorization
The core of IBF's denial, as per lawsuit, is not a rejection of Rönnbäck’s work or the agreement itself. Instead, IBF argues that the individual with whom Rönnbäck had ongoing contact was not authorized to bind the IBF to any payment obligations. This individual, Andrew Oram, served as the CEO of IBF during the time Rönnbäck's work was performed. The lawsuit includes IBF’s statutes, which state that the CEO did have the authority to obligate the federation financially for Rönnbäck's work.
Rönnbäck's lawsuit seeks to resolve this dispute and secure the compensation he claims is owed for his contributions to IBF. The case highlights issues with IBF in recent years, including IBF's bank accounts in Switzerland as well as the office in Lausanne being closed, bowling's exclusion from the upcoming 2025 World Games, and the 2026 Asian Games.
Daniel Rönnbäck is not the only one with whom IBF has not settled. Professional Bowlers Association Commissioner Tom Clark stated that he has not been paid by IBF for work he did. This was first reported by Jeff Richgels from 11thframe.com.
