The ninth annual Senior’s Open Championships will start today at the Eden SuperBowl, St. Julian’s, where some 240 Senior tenpin bowlers will compete for prize money totalling over a15,000, as well as the prestigious title of Seniors Open Champion in the respective male and female divisions.

The Eden Leisure Group’s Operations Director, Mr Edward Fenech, announced this on Monday morning during a press conference held at the offices of the Eden Leisure Group in St. George’s Bay.

‘It’s a pleasure to announce this year’s edition of edition of the Eden SuperBowl’s favourite tournament, and now officially our biggest tenpin bowling event of the year,’ said Mr. Fenech, continuing ‘This is the ninth Senior Open, which has grown from around 70 or so competitors in the inaugural 1998 tournament, to a huge event by any standards with an amazing 240 registrations this year.’

Fenech paid tribute to the level of organisation involved in such an event, adding, ‘The SuperBowl management, led by Neil Dent, always produce a professional job of organising the Seniors, which results in a highly proficient and well organised event, this is one reason why many of our bowlers return year after year to play here. I, myself, am constantly amazed not just by the obvious skill of the participants, but also by the incredible enthusiasm displayed by them, of which some are in their seventies and even eighties’.

Mr. Dent, the SuperBowl’s General Manager, provided some statistics and information about the event itself. “This year’s participants are coming to Malta from Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Guernsey, Italy, Ireland, Jersey, Norway, Sweden, Scotland, the USA, Wales and Malta of course.

“No other Senior event attracts this number of nations, and the organisers are very proud to note that the Malta Senior Open is the largest such event in Europe.”

The Seniors’ Open is for bowlers of 50 years or more, and also incorporates an age bonus whereby extra points are awarded per game depending on bowlers’ ages. There will be an opening ceremony today at 9am, and competitive bowling will start immediately afterwards. All competitors will bowl 12 qualifying games in six separate squads between today and Saturday, with the final stages being played on Sunday afternoon.