The
World Sports Festival 2008 "More Than Just A Tournament" will be staged from July 4-6, 2008 in Vösendorf, Lower Austria, Austria. More than 3,000 enthusiastic young people from 17 countries participated in the event in 2007. The World Sports Festival 2008 offers eight sports - Baseball , Basketball, Beach Volleyball,
Bowling, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball and Wrestling - with a unique Olympic-like atmosphere and big fun potential, yet with enough time for personal and intercultural encounters on and off the fields (lanes, pools, courts, etc.).
Veronica Lantto, Therese Forsell, Nina Flack, Helèn Johnsson and Diana Alfredsson from Sweden (pictured) posted a record 3331 3-game series on short oil to take the lead in the team event in the Women's European Championships after the first of two blocks. The Swedes averaged 222.07 to overtake Denmark, which set a new record in squad 1 with 3314, by 17 pins. England is a distant third with 3175, followed by Germany with 3142 in fourth place. All 19 teams return on Friday for the second 3-game block on long oil. The top 4 teams will bowl for the medals. 
Helèn Johnsson (l.), Sweden, remained atop the leaderboard in All Events after two out of three disciplines in the Women's European Championships in Denmark. With 18 out of 24 games in the books, the gold medalist in doubles leads the field of 130 women from 25 countries with 4125 pinfall total and an average of 229.17. Isabelle Saldjian (r.), France, moved from fourth to second place with 4099. The top 24 players after 24 games will advance to the Masters finals. 
No. 4 seeded Rikke Holm Rasmussen, Kamilla Kjeldsen and Anne Gales from the host country of Denmark won the gold medal in trios at the 2nd Women's European Championships in Odense. In a low-scoring affair like the doubles finals two days ago, the Danes defeated No. 3 seed. Nadege Maitre, Marylin Planchard and Isabelle Saldjian from France, 544-503, to secure the title. The French earned the silver medal. The top seeded trios, Netherlands and Germany, were eliminated in the semi-finals and tied for the bronze medal. 
Lisanne Breeschoten, Marieke de Jong and Ghislaine van der Tol (l-r) posted the second-highest 3-game series on long oil en route to earn the No. 1 seed for the Trios finals in the Women's European Championships with 3889 total and an average of 216.06. Overnight leaders Germany (Hulsch, Schwarz, Pöppler) and Denmark (Holm, Kjeldsen, Gales) landed in second and fourth with 3874 and 3811. Nadege Maitre, Marylin Planchard and Isabelle Saldjian, France, finished with 683 and the highest series of the day (19649 to leap from sixth to third with 3848. Semi-finals: Denmark def. Netherlands, 649-609, and France def. Germany, 630-619. 
A day after a disappointing defeat in the doubles finals at the 2008 Women's European Championships Germany's Tina Hulsch and Patricia Schwarz rebounded Tuesday to take the lead in the trios event after three games on short oil condition. Hulsch and Schwarz, who won bronze in the 2006 WEC trios event, teamed up with Birgit Pöppler to roll a 2076 3-game total on games of 718, 713 and 645 to lead the 39 trios from 24 countries with a 230.67 average. All trios will return on Wednesday for the second 3-game block on long oil. The top four trios after six games will advance to the finals. 
Helèn Johnsson, gold medalist in Doubles at the Women's European Championships currently underway in Odense, Denmark, leads the field of 130 women in All Events after 12 of 24 games. The multiple Swedish champion averaged 236.08 for her 12 games, six on short and six on long oil, and felled 2833 pins. Second place belongs to Mai Ginge Jensen, Denmark, with 2756 (229.67). Norwegian standout Ingunn Øien is third with 2719 (226.58). The top 24 players from All Events will advance to the best-of-three games Masters final, which will conclude the championships on Saturday, June 14.
Nina Flack and Helèn Johnsson (l-r), Sweden, who lead the doubles competition since day one flew past No. 2 seeded Tina Hulsch/Patricia Schwarz, Germany, 411-299, to win the first gold medal in the 2008 Women's European Championships in Odense, Denmark. The Germans received the silver medal. Semi-final losers Therese Forsell/Diana Alfredsson, Sweden, and defending champions Mai Ginge Jensen/Anja Ginge Jensen, Denmark, tied for bronze. The Championships continue on Tuesday and Wednesday with the Trios event.
Overnight leaders Nina Flack and Helèn Johnsson (l.) maintained the lead in the Doubles event to earn the No. 1 seed for the finals at the Women's European Championships in Odense, Denmark. They will meet their teammates Therese Forsell and Diana Alfredsson in the first semi-final match. In the other match, Tina Hulsch and Patricia Schwarz (r.) from Germany will meet Mai and Anja, Ginge Jensen, Denmark, who are targeting to defend their title from 2006. 
The 31st Grand Prix Zurich at Bowling Center BeSeCo in Rümikon-Winterthur, Switzerland was dominated by bowlers from Germany as all four players in the stepladder final came from the Swiss neighbor. In the title match, Hans Nietsch (r.), the No. 1 seed defeated former national team member Frank Börner, 217-207, to secure the title. The youth tournament saw almost the same outcome. The top three players came from Germany with Christian Birlinger (l.) capturing the title. 
2007 European Bowling Tour ranking champions Kirsten Penny (l.), England and Osku Palermaa (r.), Finland finished the men's and women's rankings in the Brunswick Belgian Open in third place to lead the EBT rankings after 8 out of 18 events with 309 and 337 points, respectively. The EBT Tour will continue with the Storm Dutch Open 2008, which will be held at Dolfijn Bowling in Scheveningen, Netherlands from June 25-29, 2008.
Kirsten Penny (l.), England, and Peter Ljung (r.), Sweden held on to the lead in the women's and men's European Bowling Tour rankings after the Brunswick Aalborg International 2008, the seventh out of 18 events this season. Penny, who won the women's rankings last year, has accumulated 274 ranking points. Peter Ljung, champion in the Brunswick Euro Challenge, remained atop the leaderboard with 313 points, 11 ahead of defending ranking champion Palermaa, who moved to second place with 302. 
Osku Palermaa (l.), the two-hander from Finland defeated PBA exempt bowler Bill O'Neill, United States, 453-374 over two games total pinfall to win the Brunswick Aalborg International 2008 and the 10.000 Euro top prize. The American received 6.000 Euro for second place. Dominic Barrett, England, and Lasse Lintilä, Finland earned 3.300 Euro each for third and fourth place, resp. Sixth place finisher Helén Johnsson (r.), Sweden, won the women's rankings. 
Renate Jakobsen (l.) of bowling club Stavanger and Svein Roger Olsen (r.), Solli BK, took different routes to win the women's and men's individual titles in the 2008 Norwegian National Championships at Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo. Record 71 ladies and 221 men started the championships on Thursday and Friday with the doubles event. Ingunn Øien teamed with Cathrine Bjercke to win the women's title while Olsen and Thomas Fagerstrøm captured the men's title. 
The Durban Cup has built up a wonderful tradition over the years for South African bowlers. Therefore, it was a difficult decision for bowling center proprietor and South Africa No. 1 bowler, Guy Caminsky (pictured), to announce that the Durban Cup 2008, due for the May 17-18, is postponed. "We have had an unfortunate incident at Superbowling Gateway," said Caminsky the 2008 World Tenpin Masters champion. "A customer threw a ball into our ceiling and knocked off the sprinkler head for the fire sprinkler system."
We were informed that long-time Irish national team member Paul Magee has died at the age of only 51 after a long battle with motor neuron disease. Paul was a member of the Irish national team from 1978 until 2001 and a four-time Irish national champion. He played in many World Cups, in World and European Championships before he became Irish team manager until 2003. "Paul was a man who lit up the world of bowling with his personality. His victory banquet sing-alongs were legendary," said Darryl Eagen, a friend and team mate on Team Ireland.
Jean-Marc Lebon and Katrien Goossens won the men's and women's title in the 2008 Belgian Individual Championship Sunday May 4th at Bowling Bowlmaster in Brussels. It was the fourth consecutive national title for Lebon and the sixth overall. This season, the Belgian Sport Bowling Federation created a new category called "Top Sport" which was contested on sport conditions. The champions will represent Belgium at the 31st European Champions Cup, October 20-26, 2008 at Treff Bowling in Duisburg, Germany.
Guy Caminsky (left), South Africa defeated reigning PBA Player of the Year Chris Barnes (right), United States, 526-517 over two games total pinfall en route to win the 11th World Tenpin Masters at Barnsley Metrodome in England and the 30,000 Dollar first prize. Trailing the American by nine pins after a 258-249 defeat in game #1, Caminsky put on a show in game #2 when he defeated the 10-time PBA champion, 277-259, to cruise to victory.
In a sensational last quarter-final match Chris Barnes (USA) and England’s Kirsten Penny (left) recorded the highest aggregate match score in the ten year history of the event as Barnes edged his way into his third consecutive semi-final at the PartyCasino.com World Tenpin Masters. Barnes now faces Osku Palermaa, Finland, who eliminated Stuart Williams (right), 467-445. England's Paul Moor defeated countryman Dominic Barrett, 516-473 to set up a semi-match against Guy Caminsky later tonight. 