European Bowling News Overview

World Doubles Champion Robert Andersson, right-handed, defeated Magnus Andersson, lefthanded, both Sweden, 213-194, to win the sixth event on the 2007 European Bowling Tour, the Husqvarna International and the 10.000 Euro top prize. Magnus was consoled with 5.000 Euro. In the semi-finals, Robert ousted James Gruffman, Sweden, while Magnus eliminated Finn Kimmo Lehtonen.

Hayley White and Sarah Overall (l-r) needed a final 420 score to successfully defend the Girls Doubles title at the 20th European Youth Championships. The duo was able to stand the pressure and combined for 426 to win gold with 2516 six-game total, a 209.67 average. Janin Ribguth/Cosima Fitz and Melanie Birlinger/Tina Hulsch, both Germany, took silver and bronze.

Two duos from Germany set the pace after two of three squads in the Girls Doubles, the opening event of the 20th European Youth Championships in Thessaloniki, Greece. L-R Melanie Birlinger and Tina Hulsch of Germany challenged their team mates, Squad 1 leaders Janin Ribguth and Cosima Fitz and finished their six-game block with a 447 game but fell 12 pins short of the lead, 2509 to 2497.

18-year-old Janin Ribguth (left) of Germany made history on Easter Sunday in the 20th European Youth Championships in Thessaloniki, Greece, when she posted the highest individual six-game series in the EYC history with 1443, an average of 240.50. Her team mate, Cosima Fitz (right), 18, added 1066 to give the two Germans the lead in Doubles after Squad 1 of 3 with 2509 pinfall total (209.08).

On Saturday evening at 8 p.m. sharp the Opening Ceremony of the 20th European Youth Championships started with the march in of the participating players and coaches. Alex Tzounis, President of the Hellas Bowling Federation, welcomed record 256 players from 28 countries at Strike Bowling Club in Thessaloniki.

Bowlingdigital reports live from the 20th European Youth Championships in Thessaloniki, Greece. The competition will be held from April 8 through 14, 2007 at Strike Bowling Club. Record 154 boys and 103 girls from 28 countries will bowl for medals in Doubles, Trios, Team, All Events and Masters. 

Bigi Manico and Louis Pari walked away the winners in the 2007 Swiss National Championships at Bowling Miami in Echandens, Switzerland, on April 1st. Both champions will represent Switzerland in the European Champions Cup (ECC) from September 17-23 at X-treme Bowling Center in Foetz, Luxembourg.

Chiara Roiati from Italy and Mark Spiteri of Malta won the coveted Masters titles in the 2007 Mediterranean Challenge Cup at Rollhouse Bowling Center in Mersin, Turkey. Spiteri, seeded 7th, defeated No. 1 seed, All Events champ Emmanuel Michaud, France, two-games-to-one. Roiati ousted women's No. 1 Natassa Rovithaki, Greece, in the semis, and went on to win the title against the No. 2 seed, Sue Abela from Malta, 2-1.

Singles champion Natassa Rovithaki, Greece, captured her second gold medal in women's All Events in the 2007 Mediterranean Challenge Cup at Rollhouse Bowling Center in Mersin, Turkey. On the men's side, Emmanuel Michaud from France held of a strong charge by Nunzio Romano, Italy.

Singles champion Nunzio Romano rolled the field-best 1402 six-game series to lead his team mates Raffaella Fusco, Chiara Roiati and Federico Rossi to the team title in the 2007 Mediterranean Challenge Cup at Rollhouse Bowling Center in Mersin, Turkey. The four Italians totaled 5117 pins, an average of 213.21. Malta and France took silver and bronze.

Nofar Hershkovich and Mor Aviram from Israel and Xavier Lotthe and Emmanuel Michaud, France, captured the gold medals in the women's and men's Doubles in the Mediterranean Challenge Cup at Rollhouse Bowling Center in Mersin, Turkey. The Israelis averaged 218.50 for six games and felled 2622 pins, while Lotthe/Michaud  posted the field-nest 2635 pinfall total.

Nunzio Romano from Italy shot 251 in the sixth and final game to overtake Emmanuel Michaud, France, by two pins en route to claim the gold medal in the men's Singles in the 2007 Mediterranean Challenge Cup at Rollhouse Bowling Center in Mersin, Turkey, with 1323 to 1321. Natassa Rovithaki (left), Greece, outaveraged Sue Abela, Malta, by more than 21 pins to cruise to the title with 1386 and an average of 231.00.

The BTBA Nationals was held at Hollywood Bowl Bradford, Yorkshire. Ranking points were decided by the all-events scores bowled by players in the A division only over nine games. Men’s Division A was won by Steve Thornton (left, 2067) comprising of sets of 646, 687 and 734. Women’s Division A winner Finny Banks’ (right) total of 2063 would have placed in second in the men’s top division.

Osku Palermaa from Finland, flew past Britt Bröndsted, 268-215, to win the Brunswick Euro Challenge in Thessaloniki, Greece. Palermaa, who led the tournament since the qualifying, pocketed the 16.000 Euro top prize. Jouni Helminen defeated Pasi Uotila, 192-159, in the opening match but fell to the Dane in the semi-final, 222-216. 

Kirsten Penny and Paul Moor remained in the lead in the women's and men's rankings after the conclusion of the fifth tournament and one of the European Bowling Tour's "Majors", the Brunswick Euro Challenge in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Swede Marcus Berndt continued hot hand and leads the top 16 players of the Round of 48 into the single elimination Round of 32 in best-of-three games match play format. Berndt, who led the 27th and final qualifying squad on Saturday evening, closed out his six-game set on Sunday morning with a huge 279 game to help grab the No. 17 seed with 1401 six-game total and an average of 233.50.

Swede Marcus Berndt, Piritta Kantola from Finland, Konstantinos Lyratzis, Greece and Michael Loos from Austria, waited until the 27th and final qualifying squad to book their spots for Sunday's finals of the Brunswick Euro Challenge at Strike Bowling Club in Thessaloniki, Greece. Berndt had a high game of 266 and finished with three consecutive games over 220 to win the squad with 1357 six-game total and an average of 226.17.

Kimmo Lehtonen (l.) from Finland won the 26th qualifying squad in the Brunswick Euro Challenge. The Finnish lefty was targeting to overtake the qualifying lead but finished with a disappointing 180 game. Nikolay Ovchinnikovs (r.), Latvia, stole the show when he closed out his set with the fifth perfect game of the tournament. 

Shaun Ng (left) and Lee Yu-Wen (right), who shot the second and third of total four 300 games this week, led the 24th qualifying squad in the Brunswick Euro Challenge at Strike Bowling Club in Thessaloniki, Greece en route to move into 17th and 18th position in the qualifying standings.

38 bowlers - almost a full squad - took on the 24 lanes at Strike Bowling Club in Thessaloniki, Greece short after Midnight on early Saturday morning for the 22nd out of 27 qualifying squads. Dominic Barrett (pictured in action), the two-time English ranking champion, had a low start with 171, but added games of 258, 265, 217, 218 and 259 to move into 10th place with 1388 pinfall total and an average of 232.33.