Jessica Chi and Julian Dinham Named in 2026 Commonwealth Games NSW Athlete Grants

Tenpin Bowling Australia is proud to celebrate two of the sport’s brightest young talents, with Jessica Chi and Julian Dinham both named as recipients of the 2026 Commonwealth Games NSW (CGNSW) Athlete Grant Program award.

The pair join an elite group of 43 athletes from across New South Wales recognized in this year’s program – selected from 23 different sports and nominated by their respective State Sporting Organisations. Each recipient receives a $1,000 grant in recognition of their outstanding development within their sports pathway programs.

About the CGNSW Athlete Grant Program

Now in its eighth edition, the CGNSW Athlete Grant has supported 248 young athletes since it was first awarded in 2016. To be eligible, athletes must be NSW residents aged under 20 and be nominated by their State Sporting Organisation based on demonstrated ability and potential within their pathway program.

CGNSW CEO Peter Tate said of this year’s cohort: “These 43 young athletes have demonstrated tremendous ability in their respective sport pathways and we’re hopeful many will be selected to represent Australia at future Commonwealth Games.”

It is a program with genuine ambition at its core – identifying the next generation of Australian representatives on the world’s second-largest multi-sport stage.

Jessica Chi – Bowlarama Wetherill Park

At just 18 yeas old, Jessica Chi is already making her mark as one of the most promising young female bowlers in the country. A member of TBA’s Junior High Performance Squad, Jessica trains and competes out of Bowlarama Wetherill Park in Sydney’s west – the same centre producing some of the most exciting junior talent in Australian tenpin bowling right now.

Her nomination by Tenpin Bowling NSW and the Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Federation reflects not just her results, but the consistency and trajectory that pathway selectors look for in athletes with genuine long-term potential. Recognition in a program spanning 23 sports across NSW is a significant achievement, and one that speaks to the impression Jessica has already made within the sport’s development system.

Julian Dinham – Bowlarama Wetherill Park

If Jessica’s selection is a statement of future promise, Julian Dinham’s reflects a talent already delivering on it – and then some.

Also 17 and a fellow member of TBA’s Junior High Performance Squad who bowls out of Bowlarama Wetherill Park, Julian has taken the 2026 season by storm in a way that few could have anticipated. He currently leads TBA’s Open Division rankings after winning both ranked events contested so far this year – the Kegel QLD Open and the Australian Open – competing against and defeating the best open age bowlers in the country in the process.

To be earning pathway grant recognition at the same time as dominating the Open Division is a remarkable combination, and it places Julian among the most exciting young athletes in Australian tenpin bowling in recent memory. His nomination by Tenpin Bowling NSW and the Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Federation is thoroughly deserved, and it is hard to imagine his story slowing down anytime soon.

Two Teammates, One Proud Bowl

It is worth pausing to note that both Jessica and Julian call Bowlarama Wetherill Park home – a fact that reflects tremendously well on the centre and the development environment it has created. To produce two CGNSW Athlete Grant recipients in the same year, from the same bowl, across both the men’s and women’s pathways, is an outstanding achievement for everyone involved in junior bowling at Wetherill Park.

Award Presentation

Jessica and Julian will be formally presented with their CGNSW Athlete Grant awards at an upcoming suitable event. We will confirm the date and details on our website in the coming weeks — so stay tuned.

Tenpin Bowling Australia extends its congratulations to Jessica, Julian, and all 43 recipients of the 2026 CGNSW Athlete Grant Program. It is a proud moment for our sport to have two athletes recognition alongside the very best of NSW’s next generation – and an exciting reminder of what is coming through the ranks of Australian tenpin bowling.