In 2006, the Ukrainian Government, with the help of numerous non-Olympic Sports Federations around the continent took the decision to hold the first ever European Sport Games in their capital city of Kiev.
Sporting disciplines to be included were to be Tenpin Bowling; Body building; Billiards; Sambo; Wrestling on the belts “Alysh”; Kickboxing; Motosport; Pankration; Dance sports; Sport acrobatics; Sumo; Strongman contests; Wushu; Rugby – 7; and Cheerleading.
The Games are an invitational event based on individual performances of a number of European nations and their athletes. The participating countries in the various sports this first event were Belarus, Belgium, England, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, and Moldova, along with host country Ukraine and Malta.
Based on their excellent recent individual performances on the international scene, not least of all the 2007 Mediterranean Championships, local bowlers Mark Spiteri and Sue Abela were invited to represent Malta for the occasion, both of them placing amongst the medal positions bringing home yet more sporting honours for the sport of Bowling.
Silver for Spiteri
Both the male and female divisions took the format of a 12-game qualifying round, followed by another three games for the top six in each, after which the top three men and women would play a stepladder final to decide the champions.
The lane conditions applied were tough, nothing like anything most of the competitors had ever played on, but because of that they were certainly fair for all. Mark Spiteri handled them admirably however, shooting highs of 237 and 244 throughout round one, and peaking with a great 256 effort which earned him an award for the highest game from the male division.
Spiteri impressed the field to make round two in first place on 2,425 (202 ave), and not being satisfied with his individual game award, he also scooped two more for the highest six game set (1,247) as well as for the highest qualifying total. He stayed top during the three second round games (2,999 total, 199.9 ave), securing a place in the men’s final just 20 pins ahead of Ukraine’s own Andriy Vazhentsev, while Matthew Hann from England qualified in third.
The single game semi-final between Vazhentsev and Hann fell by the narrowest possible of margins to the local bowler, the 160-159 score line bearing witness to the tough lane condition. The Ukrainian then went on to face Spiteri in the Men’s final over two games for total pinfall.
Spiteri would have been content with just a one game decider as he clinched game one by ten pins, 176 – 166. Game two remained however, and that went to Vazhentsev 170-193, meaning total tallies of 346-359 for Spiteri to finish in the silver position by just 13 pins.
Bronze for Abela
Ukraine’s entry Olena Mishchenko also proved strong in the Ladies’ Division, leading round one on an impressive 2,404 total. Mishchenko was trailed by England’s Jenny Billingham on 2,348 with Sue Abela claiming third place on 2,278 pins (189.8 ave). Abela also managed to match her male counterpart to a degree by picking up the Ladies’ high game with a great 247 in game two.
Round two’s three games saw the same three ladies make it to the stepladder, although it was Billingham who took the top spot, with the Ukrainian and Abela in tow.
Abela faced Mishcenko for the one game semi-final, rolling a fair 191 effort, but not enough to make it to the final thanks to her opponent’s 211 winning game. Mishchenko was then stopped in the final by Billingham, the English girl outperforming her fellow finalist in both games (200-185, 192-191) to take the championship title.
Abela and Spiteri’s continued success and latest achievements in these games give yet more credibility to Malta’s ability to compete in Tenpin Bowling at the very highest levels. Maltese bowlers consistently perform well both abroad and in Malta against some of the greatest bowling nations of the world.