[BREAKING] Pan American Games Drops Bowling for 2027 in Peru

PanAm Sports Oranization | Visual Credit: panamsports.org

Colombia’s Clara Guerrero and the United States’ AJ Johnson were the most recent athletes to win gold in bowling at the Pan American Games in 2023. It now appears they may be the last. Bowling has officially been left off the list of sports for the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. The news came on Thursday following an announcement from Panam Sports, confirming the 36 disciplines approved for the upcoming edition of the Games. In the most recent edition of the Games in Santiago, Chile in 2023, bowling was still part of the official program, making up one of the 39 included sports. Bowling had been part of the Pan American Games since 1991.

The exclusion comes despite Peru having a strong bowling infrastructure. The country hosted bowling at the 2019 Pan American Games with great success, using its well-equipped facility at the Villa Deportiva Nacional (VIDENA) sports complex. With proven venues already in place, it is unlikely that shortage of bowling venues in the area played a role in this decision.

Instead, the move seems to reflect a broader trend away from inclusion of bowling in major multi-sport events.

Just two years ago, tenpin bowling was also excluded from the program of the 2025 World Games. Combined with the recent Pan American news, the message is clear: hopes for bowling's Olympic inclusion are fading.

The effects of this decision will likely ripple across bowling federations in the Americas. The Pan American Games is one of the few events where only the top athletes from each country are selected, often leading to significant government support and performance-based funding, as in many countries, medaling at the Pan Am Games means athlete stipends.

Without this platform, national bowling teams across the American continent face potential cuts to funding, reduced athlete support, and a weakened development pipeline. This also raises concerns that bowling could be excluded from other multi-sport events in the region, such as the Central American Games, South American Games, or and Caribbean Games.

The Lima 2027 Pan American Games will feature 36 sports, including new additions like cricket.

The event is scheduled to take place from July 16 to August 1, 2027, and will host over 7,000 athletes from 41 countries. But for the bowling community, there will be no lanes, no pins, and no medals to chase.