Six Malaysian national team members among the top 10 in Squad 5; Mika Koivuniemi continues to lead qualifying with 1453; cut for 52nd place is 1285 (214.17 average)

The Malaysian men's and women's national team (Pictured with High Performance Director BC Cheah, second from left, and coach Ben Heng, right. Click on the image to enlarge it. set the tone in the fifth qualifying squad of the Brunswick Euro Challenge Thursday afternoon at Dream-Bowl Palace in Munich, Germany, Europe biggest bowling center with 52 Brunswick lanes.

Mohd Nur Aiman (rigth) led Squad 5 with 1421 total and an average of 236.83 en route to overtake third place in the overall qualifying standings. Aiman registered games of 278, 258, 205, 215, 232 and 233.

With 139 players from 24 countries having completed at least one qualifying block, PBA super star Mika Koivuniemi, a native Finn who lives in the U.S., remained atop the leaderboard with 1453 (242.17). Youngster Tobias Börding of Germany stayed in second place with 1427.

Yoan Alix of France, who was second to Koivuniemi in the opening squad, slipped to fourth place with 1416. Danish national team member Mik Stampe (left) finished ten pins behind Aiman Thursday to move into fifth place with 1411.

Reigning PBA Player of the Year Sean Rash (1405), United States, is the sixth and last player, who cracked the 1400-bar so far.

Malaysia's Siti Safiyah Amirah (right) is the best of 24 women in the field in eighth place with 1392 including eight pins handicap each game. Her team mate Alex Liew checked in with 1390, good for 11th place overall.

Indonesia's Tannya Roumimper improved her high series to 1371 to sit in 14th place. three-time European Bowling Tour point ranking leader Paul Moor (left9 moved into 22nd place with 1356 including games of 278 and 268.

Other players, who surpassed the 1300-mark were Carsten W. Hansen of Denmark (1327; 33rd) and Malaysia's Syafiq Ridhwan (1326; 34th), Sin Li Jane (right; 1318; 37th) and Isaac Russell Paul (1308; 41st).

With only one-third of the qualifying in the books, Marcel Rocke, Germany, holds the 52nd and last place to advance with 1285 and an average of 214.17.

Qualifying continues Thursday, March 21, with Squads 6 & 7 scheduled for 5 and 9 p.m. Central European Time.

Bowlingdigital.com will provide Live Coverage and Live Streaming all the way through to the stepladder finals, which will be broadcast live on Bowlingdigital TV on Sunday, March 24, from 18:30 to 19:30 Central European Time (starts at 1.30 p.m. EST or Monday, March 25, at 1.30 a.m. Hong Kong Time).

The Brunswick Euro Challenge is the fourth tournament on the 2013 European Bowling Tour schedule and one of only two "Platinum" events this season, the EBT's highest tournament category. The BEC is also the seventh stop of the World Bowling Tour and the second of three WBT events in Europe in 2013.

For the first time in 10 years of BEC competition, Europe's richest tournament will be contested at Europe's biggest bowling center, 52-lane Dream-Bowl Palace in Unterföhring near Munich, Germany.

The 106.000 Euro tournament, which runs from March 19-24, offers a 15.000 Euro top prize and a PBA International title if won by a PBA member.

Click here for more detailed Tournament Information; EBT & WBT Schedule and Ranking and to review a video of the 2012 BEC stepladder finals.

 

 

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2013 Brunswick Euro Challenge - Standings after Squad 5/15

At the end of the qualifying, the top 52 plus the top eight players from a separate leader board of the squads on March 19 & 20 (places 53-60) and the top four of the Desperado Squad (places 61-64) will advance to the finals. The top 12 qualifiers will receive one bye.

 

 

Squad 5 Results