The sport was omitted from the list of recommendations made by the Tokyo 2020 Additional Events Programme Panel along with wushu and squash last week.

Bowling’s bid for inclusion at Tokyo 2020 had been gathering momentum due to its popularity in Japan and its prominence among female players but ultimately missed out on making its Olympic debut.

Dornberger had said he believes simply being included as one of eight nominated sports has “laid the foundations” for a brighter future, adding “the brightest days of bowling are ahead of us”.

But offering a more detailed response to the failure of their bid to be a part of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the American feels the governing body do “very little” in attracting spectators and global media coverage and that they must address their lack of youth appeal going forward.

“My view is that we are seen by the outside world as needing improvement in these areas: appeal to youth, image and presentation of our events to outside media and spectators,” Dornberger wrote in a post on social networking site Facebook.

“Honestly, ask yourself if you think we have a youthful hip image.

“Can we become more appealing to youth?

“Our image is more of recreationalists than sportsmen and sportswomen.

“Whether true or not, that is how bowling is perceived; indeed it's true that the vast majority of people who bowl do it for the recreation/social value, that's what the outside world sees.

“I'm not suggesting that we decrease the recreational aspect, rather we have to find an easily visible way to clearly distinguish the sport competitors from everybody else at a glance.

“Either we are boring, or we do very little to attract, and then make it an attractive experience for media and spectators.

“I suggest it's a little of the former and a lot of the latter.”

Bowling was perhaps the least expected inclusion on a list of eight nominated sports presented to Olympic organisers in Tokyo last month.

Baseball and softball, karate, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing were the five selected, with a final decision due at next summer's International Olympic Committee Session in Rio de Janeiro.

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