Draw and matches announced for World Tenpin Masters
Reigning World Tenpin Masters Champion Chris Barnes (l.), United States, will begin the defense of his title against England's Zara Glover (r.). The 10th World Tenpin Masters will be held at Barnsley Metrodome, England from April 20-22, 2007.
As a consequence of the cancellation of the 2007 World Ranking Masters in Qatar, the European Tenpin Bowling Federation (ETBF) has announced that the inaugural European Bowling Tour Masters, originally planned for the 2008 season, will be conducted already after the 2007 season. The EBT Masters will have a minimum total prize fund of 40.000 Euro.
Leisureplex Stillorgan in Dublin, Ireland (Jan. 25-28, 2007)
No. 1 seeded Nick Froggatt, England and Kerena Dykes, Ireland, the No. 4 seed, won the men's and women's titles in the 19th Irish Open Championships at Leisureplex Stillorgan in Dublin. In an All-English affair, Froggatt cruised to a 226-165 victory over team mate Stuart Williams. Dykes won three consecutive matches including a 258-216 victory over top seeded Kisten Penny, England.
2007 Irish 'Under 19' Champion Eoin McLaughlin and Kirsten Penny, England (pictured with tournament manager Mark Delany, center), won the titles in the men's and women's Open Division at the 8th Ebonite ALSAA Open at ALSAA Bowl in Dublin, Ireland. McLaughlin and Penny win 8th Ebonite ALSAA Open
Burton Bowl in Staffordshire, England (Jan. 20-21, 2007)
English internationals Darren Cundy and Zara Glover won the men's and women's titles in the Burton Open Singles, the first event of the 2007 Brunswick Team England ranking season. Cundy (center) overcame a 64-pin lead that youngster Adam Scott (left) had in the final game, while Glover led all the way through.
Republished courtesy of the "Sportcom" News Agency (Jan. 19, 2007)
On Friday, December 15, 2006, the election meeting of the Russian Sport Bowling Federation (RSBF) took place. Joseph Orjonikidze, Vice Mayor of Moscow, was replaced by Alexander Gogolev (pictured), Chief Vice President of the "Vneshtorgbank" (VTB), as the Federation President. After the elections the federation will focus on an active development program for sport bowling.
2007 Brunswick Ballmaster Open champion Kimmo Lehtonen (left) and the best woman in the field, Piritta Kantola (right), both from Finland, took the early lead in the men's and women's 2007 European Rankings.
Tali Bowling Stadium in Helsinki, Finland (Jan. 6-14, 2007)
Kimmo Lehtonen (l.) rolled back-to-back 225 games to win the Brunswick Ballmaster Open in Helsinki, Finland. The tournament organizer defeated compatriot Petri Mannonen, 225-200, in the semi-final, then went on to beat Sweden's Bowler of the Year 2006, Martin Larsen (r.), in the title match, 225-209.
"A relatively limited number of federations in Europe have an active center certification program, which is understandable, because such a program demands both resources and high technical skills, which are not necessary always available in all federations," Roni Ashkenazi, Israel, member of the European Tenpin Bowling Federation (ETBF) Presidium and the Chairman of the ETBF Technical Committee stated.
Mario Joseph, from Nottingham, England, has brought success to the Saudi Arabian national team culminating in an outstanding performance at the Asian Games in Doha in December 2006 where the team won two gold and two bronze medals. During a brief visit to his home in Nottingham, Mario spoke to East Midlands Today video journalist Brady Haran about his success.
The Finnish Bowling Federation has selected Osku Palermaa as the Bowler of the Year 2006. The 23-year-old, who uses the two-handed style, won the election by a landslide. Palermaa was also selected as the 'Sportsman of the Year' in his home city Espoo, which is not only very important for him but also for the sport of bowling. There are very few cities in Finland who have ever selected a bowler as the Sportsman of the Year.
The Swedish Bowling Federation has selected World Doubles Champion Martin Larsen as the Bowler of the Year 2006. The 27 year-old Swedish International has had an outstanding year and was the top ranked player on the Swedish Super Six Tour and the No. 5 on the European Bowling Tour. The highlight was a gold medal at the Men's World Championships in Busan, Korea.
Terminal Bowling Center in Kiev, Ukraine (Dec. 22-24, 2006)
Dmitriy Shilkin from Belorussia defeated Vitaliy Shilan, Ukraine, 267-257, on Christmas Eve en route to win the QubicaAMF Kiev Open 2006 at Terminal Bowling Center in Kiev, Ukraine. Shilan, seeded 4th, sidelined 14-year-old qualifying leader Alexey Vasilenko, Russia, in the first semi-final, 258-250. In the other semi-final, Shilkin, the No. 3 seed, ousted #2 Sergey Prokhan, Russia, 253-231.
Former Finnish international Jouni Helminen has been elected president of the Finnish Bowling Federation for a two-year term. The 36-year-old was elected by the voting delegates selected by the federation's convention by 12 votes to 10 votes over current president and World Tenpin Bowling Association president Heikki Sarso. Helminen will serve as president from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2008. To read our interview ......
In a match between the No. 1 and No. 2 seed, tournament leader Richard Beck defeated Matt Hamilton, 393-367, en route to win the final Brunswick Team England ranking event, the PTBC Airport Challenge, at Airport Bowl in London, England, and enough points to move him into the squad for the second year. In the women's finals, Nikki Harvey, the No. 8 seed, flew past No. 2 Jemma Smith, 392-297.
Kungsbacka Bowling Center in Kungsbacka, Sweden (Dec. 11-17, 2006)
In a battle between two World Cup champions, Osku Palermaa from Finland defeated Peter Ljung from Sweden, 255-222, en route to end the 2006 European Ranking Season with victory in the Kungsbacka International Tournament in Sweden. Palermaa, who ousted Marcus Nyberg, Sweden, in the semis earned 10.000 Euro for his efforts. Ljung, who eliminated the new Swedish head coach, Tomas Leandersson, pocketed 4.500 Euro for second. Leandersson and Nyberg received 2.000 Euro each for third and fourth place, resp.
European Rankings after 20 Events - Final Standings
Paul Moor from England has won the European rankings for the third consecutive year. Kungsbacka champion Osku Palermaa from Finland came up strong but fell 16 points short to finish second. Runner-up Peter Ljung, Sweden, ended up third. Rounding out the top 8 and joining those three in the 2007 World Ranking Masters in Qatar are 4. Stuart Williams, England 5. Martin Larsen, Sweden 6. Thomas Gross, Austria 7. Jason Belmonte, Australia and 8. Kai Virtanen, Finland.
European Rankings after 20 Events - Final Standings
Two-time defending European women's ranking champion Britt Brøndsted won the women's rankings in the Kungsbacka Int'l en route to overtake previous leader Zara Glover, England, and to win the third consecutive ranking title. Joining those two in the 2007 World Ranking Masters in Qatar are Swedes Nina Flack (3rd), Helen Johnson (5th) and Anna Mattsson-Baard (6th) as well as Isabelle Saldjian, France (4th), Patricia Schwarz, Germany, (7th) and Ivonne Gross, Austria (8th).
As earlier reported, Magnus Johnson stepped down after eleven years as Swedish head coach and Sweden's top bowler Tomas Leandersson will take over the job. However, Johnson's retirement lasted less than week as he signed a contract with Swedish bowling club 'Sundbybergs IK'. "I will coach and train the club from the first of January on a more regular basis," Johnson stated.
The European Bowling Tour (EBT) announced its 2007 schedule, with 21 stops - 13 Majors and 8 Challengers - in 16 countries. The tournaments offer total prize money of more than 1.14 million Euro or more than 1.5 million U.S. Dollar. The 2007 EBT will begin with the Brunswick Ballmaster Open at Tali Bowling Stadium in Helsinki, Finland (January 6-14, 2007).
Reigning World Tenpin Masters Champion Chris Barnes (l.), United States, will begin the defense of his title against England's Zara Glover (r.). The 10th World Tenpin Masters will be held at Barnsley Metrodome, England from April 20-22, 2007. 
As a consequence of the cancellation of the 2007 World Ranking Masters in Qatar, the European Tenpin Bowling Federation (ETBF) has announced that the inaugural European Bowling Tour Masters, originally planned for the 2008 season, will be conducted already after the 2007 season. The EBT Masters will have a minimum total prize fund of 40.000 Euro. 
No. 1 seeded Nick Froggatt, England and Kerena Dykes, Ireland, the No. 4 seed, won the men's and women's titles in the 19th Irish Open Championships at Leisureplex Stillorgan in Dublin. In an All-English affair, Froggatt cruised to a 226-165 victory over team mate Stuart Williams. Dykes won three consecutive matches including a 258-216 victory over top seeded Kisten Penny, England.
2007 Irish 'Under 19' Champion Eoin McLaughlin and Kirsten Penny, England (pictured with tournament manager Mark Delany, center), won the titles in the men's and women's Open Division at the 8th Ebonite ALSAA Open at ALSAA Bowl in Dublin, Ireland. McLaughlin and Penny win 8th Ebonite ALSAA Open
English internationals Darren Cundy and Zara Glover won the men's and women's titles in the Burton Open Singles, the first event of the 2007 Brunswick Team England ranking season. Cundy (center) overcame a 64-pin lead that youngster Adam Scott (left) had in the final game, while Glover led all the way through. 
On Friday, December 15, 2006, the election meeting of the Russian Sport Bowling Federation (RSBF) took place. Joseph Orjonikidze, Vice Mayor of Moscow, was replaced by Alexander Gogolev (pictured), Chief Vice President of the "Vneshtorgbank" (VTB), as the Federation President. After the elections the federation will focus on an active development program for sport bowling. 
2007 Brunswick Ballmaster Open champion Kimmo Lehtonen (left) and the best woman in the field, Piritta Kantola (right), both from Finland, took the early lead in the men's and women's 2007 European Rankings. 
Kimmo Lehtonen (l.) rolled back-to-back 225 games to win the Brunswick Ballmaster Open in Helsinki, Finland. The tournament organizer defeated compatriot Petri Mannonen, 225-200, in the semi-final, then went on to beat Sweden's Bowler of the Year 2006, Martin Larsen (r.), in the title match, 225-209. 
Mario Joseph, from Nottingham, England, has brought success to the Saudi Arabian national team culminating in an outstanding performance at the Asian Games in Doha in December 2006 where the team won two gold and two bronze medals. During a brief visit to his home in Nottingham, Mario spoke to East Midlands Today video journalist Brady Haran about his success. 
The Finnish Bowling Federation has selected Osku Palermaa as the Bowler of the Year 2006. The 23-year-old, who uses the two-handed style, won the election by a landslide. Palermaa was also selected as the 'Sportsman of the Year' in his home city Espoo, which is not only very important for him but also for the sport of bowling. There are very few cities in Finland who have ever selected a bowler as the Sportsman of the Year.
The Swedish Bowling Federation has selected World Doubles Champion Martin Larsen as the Bowler of the Year 2006. The 27 year-old Swedish International has had an outstanding year and was the top ranked player on the Swedish Super Six Tour and the No. 5 on the European Bowling Tour. The highlight was a gold medal at the Men's World Championships in Busan, Korea.
Dmitriy Shilkin from Belorussia defeated Vitaliy Shilan, Ukraine, 267-257, on Christmas Eve en route to win the QubicaAMF Kiev Open 2006 at Terminal Bowling Center in Kiev, Ukraine. Shilan, seeded 4th, sidelined 14-year-old qualifying leader Alexey Vasilenko, Russia, in the first semi-final, 258-250. In the other semi-final, Shilkin, the No. 3 seed, ousted #2 Sergey Prokhan, Russia, 253-231.
Former Finnish international Jouni Helminen has been elected president of the Finnish Bowling Federation for a two-year term. The 36-year-old was elected by the voting delegates selected by the federation's convention by 12 votes to 10 votes over current president and World Tenpin Bowling Association president Heikki Sarso. Helminen will serve as president from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2008. To read our interview ......
In a match between the No. 1 and No. 2 seed, tournament leader Richard Beck defeated Matt Hamilton, 393-367, en route to win the final Brunswick Team England ranking event, the PTBC Airport Challenge, at Airport Bowl in London, England, and enough points to move him into the squad for the second year. In the women's finals, Nikki Harvey, the No. 8 seed, flew past No. 2 Jemma Smith, 392-297. 
In a battle between two World Cup champions, Osku Palermaa from Finland defeated Peter Ljung from Sweden, 255-222, en route to end the 2006 European Ranking Season with victory in the Kungsbacka International Tournament in Sweden. Palermaa, who ousted Marcus Nyberg, Sweden, in the semis earned 10.000 Euro for his efforts. Ljung, who eliminated the new Swedish head coach, Tomas Leandersson, pocketed 4.500 Euro for second. Leandersson and Nyberg received 2.000 Euro each for third and fourth place, resp.
Paul Moor from England has won the European rankings for the third consecutive year. Kungsbacka champion Osku Palermaa from Finland came up strong but fell 16 points short to finish second. Runner-up Peter Ljung, Sweden, ended up third. Rounding out the top 8 and joining those three in the 2007 World Ranking Masters in Qatar are 4. Stuart Williams, England 5. Martin Larsen, Sweden 6. Thomas Gross, Austria 7. Jason Belmonte, Australia and 8. Kai Virtanen, Finland.
Two-time defending European women's ranking champion Britt Brøndsted won the women's rankings in the Kungsbacka Int'l en route to overtake previous leader Zara Glover, England, and to win the third consecutive ranking title. Joining those two in the 2007 World Ranking Masters in Qatar are Swedes Nina Flack (3rd), Helen Johnson (5th) and Anna Mattsson-Baard (6th) as well as Isabelle Saldjian, France (4th), Patricia Schwarz, Germany, (7th) and Ivonne Gross, Austria (8th).
As earlier reported, Magnus Johnson stepped down after eleven years as Swedish head coach and Sweden's top bowler Tomas Leandersson will take over the job. However, Johnson's retirement lasted less than week as he signed a contract with Swedish bowling club 'Sundbybergs IK'. "I will coach and train the club from the first of January on a more regular basis," Johnson stated.
The European Bowling Tour (EBT) announced its 2007 schedule, with 21 stops - 13 Majors and 8 Challengers - in 16 countries. The tournaments offer total prize money of more than 1.14 million Euro or more than 1.5 million U.S. Dollar. The 2007 EBT will begin with the Brunswick Ballmaster Open at Tali Bowling Stadium in Helsinki, Finland (January 6-14, 2007). 