Israeli Blind Bowler Wins World Championship for 2nd Time

Amazing! IDF veteran Lazmy, who lost his sight following a mine explosion in the Golan Heights, won first place in the International Blind Sports Federation’s 2018 Bowling World Championships.

By: Abigail Klein Leichman, Israel21c

Shlomi Lazmy, a blind Israeli IDF veteran, won first place in the International Blind Sports Federation’s 2018 Tenpin Bowling World Championships for the blind held in Prague on August 6.

This is the second year in a row that Lazmy, 61, won the title. Last year’s championships were held in Japan.

In the final matches of the 2018 games, Lazmy bested a Japanese bowler (125-103) and a Polish player (129-120).

Lazmy lost his sight following a mine explosion in the Golan Heights during army reserve duty in 1986, when he was a 28-year-old newlywed. In 1992, he represented Israel at the Paralympics in goalball, a soccer-like sport for the blind.

In 2009, Lazmy’s son encouraged him to find out about bowling leagues for the blind via his text-to-voice computer.

Israel then had only a lawn-bowling league for people with visual impairments, not one for 10-pin bowlers. Lazmy became a pioneer in this sport, using a special guide rail his brother made for him.

Coached by Gadi Aviram, Lazmy practices twice a week at a bowling alley in Holon, a suburb of Tel Aviv.

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