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No beer here, this is Pan American Games bowling

Kelly Kulick from the United States compete during bowling women's doubles final at the Pan American Games at the Bolerama Tapatio in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011. Kullick and teammate Elizabeth Johnson won the gold medal. (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco)

Bill O'Neill from the United States competes during bowling men's doubles final at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011. O'Neill and Chris Barnes won the gold medal.l (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco)

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By STEPHEN WADE, The Associated Press Updated 3:06 PM Wednesday, October 26, 2011

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — The Bolerama Tapatio is rocking with fans chanting "ME-HI-CO, ME-HI-CO, ME-HI-CO," drowning out the thunder of falling pins.

The bleachers are set up where the ball racks would be, and no one is wearing rental shoes with the sizes embossed in big numbers on the back.

And finally, none of the competitors are swilling beer.

This isn't just any old bowling alley, this is the Pan American Games.

"There are a lot of people who bowl, but not a lot who do it at this level," said Chris Barnes, who won gold for the United States in men's doubles. "The same with soccer. There are a lot of people who can kick the ball. That does not make them soccer players."

Bowling has an image problem, and top officials know it. The sport has a low profile, it draws few fans and little media attention, and big-time sponsors are scarce.

Kevin Dornberger, the president of the sports governing body, the FIQ, said plans are afoot for a televised world tour in 2013.

"That will go a long way toward curing our visibility problem," said Dornberger, adding that people need to distinguish between "beer and fun" bowling and the elite variety.

The tournament in Guadalajara is another step in that direction.

The Pan American Games is about as close as many of the world's best bowlers can get to the Olympics. Like squash, cricket, roller-skating and sumo wrestling, bowling is recognized by the International Olympic Committee but not part of the Olympic program.

"I think we deserve to be in the Olympics," said Neil Stremmel, the vice president of the United States Bowling Congress. "You can see somebody at your local bowling center smoking and drinking, and who has a big gut. They might bowl a good game here or there. But those aren't the people you see on TV, or the people you see here."

Bowlers want more respect, and they get it at the Pan American Games.

At the 42-lane Bolerama Tapatio, Barnes and teammate Bill O'Neill mingle with fans, cheerfully signing autographs and making small talk. Two of the world's top-ranked bowlers, they teamed for gold in doubles and one is likely to earn another title in singles on Thursday.

Antonio Franco Munoz paid $20 for a souvenir bowling pin, walked right up to the two Americans and asked them to sign it.

"Here is was very easy to get the autograph," Munoz said. "I can't imagine trying this at a football stadium where Chicharito is playing. Impossible."

Chicharito is the nickname of Javier Hernandez, a native of Guadalajara who plays for Manchester United and could be Mexico's most famous athlete.

Far below Chicharito in the psyche of many sport fans in Mexico are Sandra Gongora and Aseret Zetter, who won silver in women's doubles. Gongora graduated from Wichita State in 2010, which is to bowling what Duke is to college basketball.

"Bowling has the same excitement as other sports," said local fan Pedro Manjarrez, drinking a beer from a foam cup and cheering on Gongora and Zetter. "Just not as much sweat."

O'Neill called bowling a game of "invisible obstacles."

"In golf you can see the bunkers, the hazards," O'Neill said. "In bowling it's the oil on the lanes. People just see the game as throwing the ball and knocking down pins."

If only it were that easy to win a gold medal.

"At the highest level these athletes train like any athletes," said Dornberger, the FIQ president. "They study the technology of the game like any other athletes. But the average person can't differentiate between the social and the high level athletes because there are no clear distinctions. There are no different pins, no different lanes."

Looking ahead, Dornberger is working to get bowling on an IOC short list in 2015. From that list a sport could be picked in 2017 to be added to the 2024 Olympic program.

"It's a long way out," Dornberger said. "But if we don't start planning now, it's a longer way out."

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Stephen Wade can be reached at http://twitter.com/StephenWadeAP

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October 26, 2011 07:01 PM EDT

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