When Ernesto Ávila (Mexico City, August 20, 1972) was contacted, the Peruvian Bowling Federation He was looking for a training for coaches that would allow him to professionalize a sport that had once achieved its greatest successes based on the natural talent of its athletes.
How did you find Peruvian bowling 10 years ago?
The typical sports panorama of a third world country, with the same deficiencies that you could find from Mexico to Chile or Argentina, with a lack of coaches and infrastructure, lack of information and culture of modern bowling. We had to look for private bowling alleys to be able to give classes. The only technology we had back then was just an iPad.
Why did Peru fall so much if it was one of the most prominent countries in the region?
Peru had become a common team. 25 or 30 years ago, when the game was still talent against talent, he managed to position good players, but from there he fell behind terribly, like all of Latin America, since very few countries modernized in bowling. We lost many years in that limbo. Today we have been recognized at the World Coaches Congress as one of the countries that has grown the most in the world, we are a power at the youth level and in the elite category we are already at the level of the best.
What has been the biggest difficulty for bowling in Peru?
We have suffered in that part. We are very few players, less than 30. With that we have managed to be among the best on the continent, with medals in the Asunción 2022 South American Games, Bolivarian Games and in international tournaments at the youth level. If we had a bigger educational base of players, we could become a world power. I feel that in the provinces there is a lot of talent to discover.
What is the path that the Peruvian Bowling Federation seeks to spread the sport?
Our goal is to bring bowling closer to Peruvian society, let them live bowling. This sport does not require a defined phenotype, not being the tallest or the strongest gives you more advantage. Maybe not all of them will become professional players, but they will learn to live the sporting side. Very few people know that we have one of the best bowling alleys in the world in La Videna. We want it to be open to everyone.
What is needed for the Videna Bowling Center to be open to the general public?
We definitely need to open this space up. Today it is private and very complicated to enter. When it was created for Lima 2019, it was thought that it would be close to Canada Avenue so that people could enter on foot or in their cars, but to date that idea has not been put into practice. This has to be an open place with prices accessible to all. That way we can find new prospects. We refuse to make it a white elephant.
So how can you start bowling in this scenario?
Today we have Legacy workshops available for all ages. That way they can get closer to bowling, a sport that trains its players in discipline accompanied by their talent. Let’s hope it’s the first step so that this bowling alley, which has the best technology in Latin America, can be open to everyone very soon.