The top 36 Bulgarian athletes in three categories - Men, Women, and B group - competed against one another over the past few days with the aim of winning the Republican title for the 2022–2023 season. The championship was full of memorable moments.
The top 16 competitors in the Men's category took part in a Round-Robin format. There was a lot at stake because each player received bonus points when their score reached 200 or 250. After the first round of Round-Robin, Luben Levicharov took the lead with a 212.4 average. The 18-year-old two-hander won 11 of 15 matches.
The top 8 competitors went on to the next Round-Robin matchplay. Dian Dinev displayed excellent skills during the quarterfinals, and by defeating 5 out of 7 opponents with an average score of more than 220, he elevated himself to the first position. In the championship game, Dian Dinev won all matches in the best-of-three, to win the Republican title in the Men's category. He also became a Republican champion in Trios and Teams few weeks ago in the Bulgaria's Team Championships.
The top 8 bowlers in the Women's category, who accumulated the most points during the season, competed in a Round-Robbin format over two days. Mariana Meteksinova managed to win 10 of the 14 matches, surpass the other participants by 220 points and secure a place in the final.
The other participant to reach the finals was 15-year-old Sofia Stoyanova, who recently placed 21st at the European Youth Championship. More experienced Meteksinova managed to win all three games in the best-of-three matchplay, to capture the Republican title in the Women's category.
The most dramatic and intriguing finals happened in B group category. Dmitry Pudov finished the Round-Robin as the winner among 12 athletes, with 8 wins and an average of 178.6 pins per game. Just a few points away was Ivo Klark, but he kept his chance to improve and beat his opponent, facing Pudov in this final as the No. 2 seed.
The fight for the title started rather unexpectedly - Pudov scored 216 points while Klark only 140. Klark soon discovered the way to success and tied the result to 2:2. In the last game, Dmitry Pudov won the Republican title in the B group category.
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