Back in 1814–1815, the Congress of Vienna brought Europe’s leaders together toshape the continent’s future after the fall of Napoleon. This October, Viennawill once again become the stage where decisions influencing Europe are made -this time in the world of bowling, as the European Bowling Federation (EBF)gathers for its 2025 Congress on October 26th, after the European Championshipof Champions. Today, the EBF has officially revealed the candidates for the positions of EBFPresident and Presidium ahead of its upcoming Congress. The current EBF President, Valgeir Guðbjartsson of Iceland, is the onlycandidate for the presidential post. Guðbjartsson, who was first elected in2023 for a two-year term, is seeking another mandate. Alongside the presidential election, the Congress will also vote for Presidiummembers. One Presidium member will be elected for a term until the Congress of 2027,and two Presidium members will be elected for terms until the Congress of2029. Two current members of the Presidium have submitted their candidacy forre-election. The confirmed Presidium candidates are: Mr. Onder Gurkan (Turkey)– Current EBF Presidium member, nominated by the German Bowling Federation.Mr. Aki Aarikka (Finland)– President of the Finnish Bowling Federation, nominated by the FinlandBowling Federation.Mr. Or Aviram (Israel) –Member of the Israel Bowling Federation, nominated by the Israel BowlingFederation.Mrs. Sue Abela (Malta) –Member of the Malta Bowling Federation, nominated by the Malta BowlingFederation. Mr. Onder Gurkan (Turkey)– Current EBF Presidium member, nominated by the German Bowling Federation. Mr. Onder Gurkan (Turkey) Mr. Aki Aarikka (Finland)– President of the Finnish Bowling Federation, nominated by the FinlandBowling Federation. Mr. Aki Aarikka (Finland) Mr. Or Aviram (Israel) –Member of the Israel Bowling Federation, nominated by the Israel BowlingFederation. Mr. Or Aviram (Israel) Mrs. Sue Abela (Malta) –Member of the Malta Bowling Federation, nominated by the Malta BowlingFederation. Mrs. Sue Abela (Malta) A highly controversial candidacy has also been submitted.Mr. Sergey Lisitsyn (russia), the currentpresident of the russian bowling federation and an existing EBF Presidiummember, has shown interest in another term. The European Union has restrictedthe issuing of visas to russian citizens, therefore Lisitsyn cannot travelwithin Europe and does not attend any of EBF events, yet expressed his desireto be on the candidate list. Mr. Sergey Lisitsyn (russia) Lisitsyn is known as a strong supporter of russian dictator Vladimir Putin andrussia’s war in Ukraine. On February 24, 2022, when russia invaded Ukraine, he was both an EBFPresidium member and part of the EBF Tournament Committee. Following theinvasion, EBF President Addie Ophelders announced on March 2, 2022, thatLisitsyn would step down from his roles as Championships Director for theEuropean Men’s Championships in Helsinki and the European Youth Championshipsin Wittelsheim, France. However, he retained his Presidium seat. Later that month, according toBusiness Insider andInside the Games, Lisitsyn took part in a pro-warrally in Moscow on March 18, where he openly supported Putin and the so-called"special military operation" in Ukraine. During that rally, he made statementsjustifying russia’s actions and accusing the West of spreading Russophobia. Business Insider Inside the Games "We see that the special operation being carried out today on Ukrainian soilallows us to achieve our goals with minimal losses for our fraternal peoples,"a statement fromLisitsyn said, per Inside the Games. "Given the unprecedented external pressure from the West, which for eightyears condoned the flourishing of nazism in Ukraine, today we clearlyunderstand that the special operation was just an excuse to replicateRussophobic sentiments and escalate the situation around russia and everythingrussian." Lisitsyn said, per Inside the Games Speaking to Erikas Jansonas of 'BowlingLife', EBF General Secretary MartinaJakobi explained that there are currently no official rules from theInternational Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding the candidacy of russianindividuals in international federations. “Currently the guidance from the IOC committee has no rules forcandidacy/elections of Russian individuals in regards of participating inInternational Federation. As we follow their guidance, we do not restrictanybody from being a candidate for any position in our Federation. We haverequested clear guidance from IBF on this case and are waiting for theirreply,” Jakobi said. BowlingLife has also contacted the International Bowling Federation (IBF) forclarification and is awaiting a response. The article will be updated once newinformation is available. At present, russian and belarusian national teams are banned fromparticipating in both EBF and IBF tournaments. This raises questions about howhe could physically attend the EBF Congress in Vienna, as the EU has suspendedits visa facilitation agreement with Russia, whose interests Lisitsyn wouldrepresent if re-elected to the Presidium, and how whould he attend EBF eventsin the future. According to United Nations statistics, over 14,000 civilian deaths have beenrecorded in Ukraine since the start of the war, including 733 children. Morethan 36,000 civilians have been injured, including 2,285 children.Ukrainian national teams continue to be active participants inEuropean and World Championships.

The transfer of PBA Tour broadcasts from FOX to The CW Network does not onlyaffect American audiences, but also international viewers. Since The CW Network is only available in the United States, it was importantto secure a way for fans worldwide to follow the biggest stage in professionalbowling. The Professional Bowlers Association confirmed to BowlingLife’s ErikasJansonas that global fans will still be able to follow the action throughBowlTV, the same livestream service used in past seasons. “International viewers will be able to watch PBA events on the CW via BowlTV -just as they could watch FOX shows in past years,” the PBA stated. The 2026 regular season begins on February 22 with the PBA PlayersChampionship in Arlington, Texas. The CW Network will broadcast ten events inten straight Sundays, all live at 4 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, the World Series ofBowling will be livestreamed on CBS. Below is the full PBA Tour Schedule 2026 on The CW Network, with all eventsairing at 4 p.m. ET: February 22: PBA Players Championship – Arlington, Texas –International Training and Research Center February 22: PBA Players Championship March 1: PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic – St. Peters, Mo. – BowleroSt. Peters March 1: PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic March 8: U.S. Open – Indianapolis, Ind. – Royal Pin Woodland March 8: U.S. Open March 15: PBA Illinois Classic – Decatur, Ill. – David Small’s VictoryLanes March 15: PBA Illinois Classic March 22: PBA Indiana Classic – Fort Wayne, Ind. – David Small’s ProBowl West March 22: PBA Indiana Classic March 29: USBC Masters – Allen Park, Mich. – Thunderbowl Lanes March 29: USBC Masters April 5: PBA Ohio Classic – Columbus, Ohio – Columbus Square BowlingPalace April 5: PBA Ohio Classic April 12: PBA New York Classic – Rochester, N.Y. – ABC Gates Bowl April 12: PBA New York Classic April 19: PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship – Portland, Maine –Bayside Bowl April 19: PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship April 26: PBA Tournament of Champions – Fairlawn, Ohio – AMF RivieraLanes April 26: PBA Tournament of Champions Earlier this year, the PBA announced that it hadsigned a multi-year broadcast agreement with The CW Network, marking the end of its partnership with FOX. signed a multi-year broadcast agreement with The CW Network

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) has announced the full PBA TourSchedule 2026, with live broadcasts set to air on The CW Network. The new television partnership introduces “PBA Championship Sundays on TheCW,” bringing professional bowling to a national audience on ten consecutiveSundays. Coverage will begin on February 22, 2026, with the PBA Players Championship inArlington, Texas. Every broadcast will air live at 4 p.m. ET and continuethrough April 26, 2026, when the season closes with the PBA Tournament ofChampions in Fairlawn, Ohio. In total, The CW will feature four major championships. These include the PBAPlayers Championship, U.S. Open, USBC Masters, and the PBA Tournament ofChampions. Six additional title events will also be broadcast, such as the PBA Pete WeberMissouri Classic and the Roth/Holman Doubles Championship from Bayside Bowl inPortland, Maine. Fans can follow qualifying and match play rounds through BowlTV before theChampionship Sunday broadcasts. Below is the full PBA Tour Schedule 2026 on The CW Network, with all eventsairing at 4 p.m. ET: February 22: PBA Players Championship – Arlington, Texas –International Training and Research Center February 22: PBA Players Championship March 1: PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic – St. Peters, Mo. – BowleroSt. Peters March 1: PBA Pete Weber Missouri Classic March 8: U.S. Open – Indianapolis, Ind. – Royal Pin Woodland March 8: U.S. Open March 15: PBA Illinois Classic – Decatur, Ill. – David Small’s VictoryLanes March 15: PBA Illinois Classic March 22: PBA Indiana Classic – Fort Wayne, Ind. – David Small’s ProBowl West March 22: PBA Indiana Classic March 29: USBC Masters – Allen Park, Mich. – Thunderbowl Lanes March 29: USBC Masters April 5: PBA Ohio Classic – Columbus, Ohio – Columbus Square BowlingPalace April 5: PBA Ohio Classic April 12: PBA New York Classic – Rochester, N.Y. – ABC Gates Bowl April 12: PBA New York Classic April 19: PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship – Portland, Maine –Bayside Bowl April 19: PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship April 26: PBA Tournament of Champions – Fairlawn, Ohio – AMF RivieraLanes April 26: PBA Tournament of Champions Earlier this year, the PBA announced that it had signed a multi-year broadcast agreement with The CW Network, marking the end of its partnership with FOX.While Championship Sundays will air on The CW, the World Series ofBowling will be broadcasted on CBS. signed a multi-year broadcast agreement with The CW Network

Last weekend, the Swedish Elitserien delivered more high-level action and early shifts in the standings. Team Alingsås kept their perfect record intact with a win over Clan, while Pergamon avenged their title loss in last season’s finals with a strong performance against the same opponent. Meanwhile, AIK BK earned their first point of the season in a dramatic tie with Göta. On Sunday, Full House impressed with a commanding home win, pushing into early playoff position. Saturday Matches Overview Team Alingsås BC – Team Clan Nässjö BK 13–7 Team Alingsås BC – Team Clan Nässjö BK 13–7 Alingsås made it four wins in four matches after outplaying Clan in a tight battle on home lanes. Clan opened strong, winning the first series 3–2 with 1728, but Alingsås responded with consistency and clutch shots in the later games. They took the remaining three series, including total pinfall bonuses, and sealed the match 13–7. Team rookie Noel Haglund Torgersen led the team again with 936, while Gustaf Johansson added 930. Clan’s top scorer was Alfred Berggren with 884. "Clan is a great team, so it feels really good that we managed to beat them," said Richard Dahllöf. "We're all hungry for revenge this year after missing the finals for a couple of seasons, so everyone is trying to step up." Team Pergamon – Team Clan Nässjö BK 11–9 Later that day in Partille, Pergamon got their revenge on Clan for last season’s Elitserien finals loss. Pergamon looked sharp and fresh from the start, and a dominant second series of 1916 set the tone for the match. Despite Clan’s strong finish 0-5, Pergamon had already built an uncatchable lead after three series. Jesper Svensson led Pergamon with 1012, with Markus Jansson adding 971. Clan’s Alexander Tigerstrand fired 976, and Pontus Andersson 956. "A huge effort from us after the tough loss in Boden last weekend," said Martin Larsen after a win. "We had great focus from the start, and closing out Clan in just three series is no small feat. Very proud of the guys." loss in Boden last weekend IS Göta – AIK BK 10–10 In Helsingborg, Göta and AIK delivered a dramatic match that ended in a 10–10 draw. AIK opened with a 4–1 series, but Göta clawed back with three straight 3–2 series wins, thanks to stronger totals. It was the first point of the season for both teams. For Göta, it was their season opener, while AIK had suffered a loss to Alingsås the previous week. previous week AIK’s Tobias Börding led all scorers with 946, just ahead of Göta’s Martin Paulsson (940). Sunday Matches Overview BK Full House – AIK BK 16–4 Full House closed the weekend with a convincing 16–4 home win against AIK in Ängelholm. Playing on one of the most demaning lane conditions in the league, Full House took control early with 1647 in the opening series and never looked back. The decisive blow came in the third set, where they posted 1713 — the highest of the match — and swept all lane points for a 5–0. Mik Stampe led the hosts with 886, while JD Mortensen added 849. Kevin Melin (856) and Tobias Börding (825) were the standouts for AIK.

Matúš Hrušovsky of Slovakia claimed the Mega-Xtreme Sofia Open 2025 title inBulgaria, marking a significant step in his young bowling career.Just last year, Hrušovsky won the U18 division at the Slovak Youth Bowling Championships, and now he has added an international title to hisrecord. won the U18 division at the Slovak Youth Bowling Championships The final match on Sunday saw Hrušovsky defeat Czech bowler and defendingchampion Lukáš Jelínek 233-225. Hrušovsky began the tournament with a 1,458 total over six games inqualification, which placed him 11th overall. In final step 1, he struggled with a 179 in the opening game on the 40-footoil pattern, but he quickly recovered with games of 247, 287, and 246 tosecure second place and advance. With 28 players left in final step 2, Hrušovsky rolled games of 220, 233, 225,and 239 to finish 12th and a ticket to the next round. He successfullyadvanced through two more stages to reach the one-game eliminator round withfour players remaining. In the first eliminator, Hrušovsky scored 215 to secure the last advancingposition by just two pins over Croatia’s Roko Knezic. In the second round, herolled 252 to move into the championship match alongside Jelínek, as Malta’sKayden Lagana finished third with 181. For his victory, Hrušovsky  received €3,100 from the €20,000 totalprize fund.157 players took part in this year’s event across A andB divisions. Find more bowling tournaments across the globe by using BowlingLife's Tournament Finder Tool. BowlingLife's Tournament Finder Tool.

Nooa Vilokkinen of Finland won the XIII International Open City of Torrevieja,held in Spain. The Finnish bowler showed consistency throughoutthe tournament and secured the €3,000 first-place prize. In qualification, Vilokkinen placed second with a total of 1,471 over sixgames, just three pins behind his countryman Teemu Asplund, who led with1,474. Entering final step 1 with the top 32 players, Vilokkinen took control byposting 1,061 across four games. He was the only player to surpass 1,000 inthis stage, giving him a 138-pin lead. In final step 2, Vilokkinen extended his advantage to 202 pins, moving intofinal step 3 where the last eight players competed in seven round-robinmatches. Although he won only three matches, Vilokkinen scoredabove 200 in all seven games, which was enough to secure the overall victorywithout a stepladder final. Sweden’s Stefan Dew finished in second place, while Norway’s MathiasReinertsen placed third. The total prize fund for the tournament was €13,200. Find more bowling tournaments across the globe by using BowlingLife's Tournament Finder Tool. BowlingLife's Tournament Finder Tool.

Andrew Anderson won the 2025 PBA LBC National Championships Clash, securingThe Duke trophy and the $25,000 top prize.The event took place onSeptember 27 and featured eight finalists representing different divisions ofthe LBC National Championships. The finalists first bowled a four-game seeding round to decide the order forthe one-ball eliminator finals. In this format, each player delivered a singleshot, with the lowest pinfall leading to elimination after each round. Connor Chen, representing Boys Junior Handicap, was the first player out,followed by PBA Hall of Famer Chris Barnes. Anderson then survived a roll-offagainst Robert Morris, winning 7–6 to continue in the competition. OliviaRogers, Karla Alsgood, and Stephanie Zavala were next eliminated as the fieldnarrowed. In the championship round, Anderson met Westyn Griffin from the Open Classicdivision. Both opened with a nine count, but Anderson followed with a strikewhile Griffin knocked down six. That final shot gave Anderson the victory andsecured his place among the Clash champions. The Clash has been held annually since 2023. Tom Daugherty won the inaugural event, while Gianna Brandolino claimed thetitle in 2024. The 2025 edition awarded $53,000 in total prize money, with $25,000 for firstplace, $10,000 for second, and $3,000 for all other finalists.

EJ Tackett has been named the Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year for 2025.Tackett received 86.5 percent of the vote from PBA members andmedia. Andrew Anderson and Ethan Fiore followed with six percent each, whileJason Belmonte, Graham Fach, Jesper Svensson, and Chris Via were alsonominated. This is his fourth career award and his third in a row. With this achievement,Tackett joins Earl Anthony, Mark Roth, Walter Ray Williams Jr., and Belmonteas the only players to win three consecutive Player of the Year honors. Tackett’s 2025 season included several milestones. He led the PBA Tour inpoints with 34,690, in earnings with $438,540, and in average with 228.60. He recorded 11 top-five finishes, 12 top-10 finishes, 13 top-25 finishes, andcashed in 15 events. During the season, Tackett added multiple career titles, surpassing DonJohnson to enter the top ten on the all-time list with 27. He also secured two major championships. At theU.S. Open, Tackett made a late charge from outside the cut to win his second title inthe event. Later, he captured thePBA World Championship, finishing a demanding World Series of Bowling with a victory over JasonBelmonte. U.S. Open PBA World Championship The Player of the Year award carries the name of Christopher Schenkel, theHall of Fame broadcaster who was the longtime voice of the PBA. He passed awayin 2005.

France has announced the lineup for the upcoming 2025 IBF World Championships,set to take place at Top Bowl in Kai Tak Sports Park, Hong Kong, from November24 to December 5. The men’s roster includes Mike Bartaire (USC DCL Dammarie-les-Lys), LoickCoolen (BC Albi Le Séquestre), Maxime Dubois (Les Dragons de Colmar), GaëtanMouveroux (Eagles Wittelsheim), Grégory Rius (Skittle Club Franche Comté), andValentin Saulnier (Skittle Club Franche Comté). The team will be guided by coaches François Sacco and Cédric Vettes. The 2025 IBF World Championships will bring together athletes from around theworld to compete in singles, doubles, trios, and team of five events. The tournament begins with official practice and the opening ceremony onNovember 24, followed by 12 days of competition in Hong Kong. France joins other countries such as theUnited States,Sweden, andFinland, who have already confirmed their national teams ahead of the championships. United States Sweden Finland

Week two of the Swedish Elitserien brought high drama, perfect games, and a statement weekend from Team Alingsås. After opening their season with three tough road games, Alingsås came away with three victories, including a clutch comeback win against Stureby and a 300 game from rising talent Noel Haglund Torgersen. Meanwhile, Bodens BS stunned powerhouse Team Pergamon in one of the biggest surprises of the young season. Saturday Matches Overview IKW/Köping BK – Team Alingsås BC 5–14 Alingsås started their away triple-header with a confident win over Köping. Despite a tight match on paper - Alingsås scored 6869 to Köping’s 6754 - the visitors swept all four series and took all four total pinfall bonuses. Alingsås started their away triple-header with a confident win over Köping. D the visitors swept all four series and took all four total pinfall bonuses. Team captain James Blomgren led the way with 916, while 17-year-old Noel Haglund Torgersen impressed on debut with 874. Norway’s Henrik Nordang Larsen also delivered a strong finish, closing with 256 for a 833 total. Köping’s Carl Eklund topped all scorers with 962, ahead of Viktor Danielsson’s 911. Sunday Match Overview AIK BK – Team Alingsås BC 9–11 Sunday morning’s match in Stockholm turned into a strike fest, marked with two perfect games. Alingsås opened with 1882 in the first series to take an early 1-4 lead, but AIK answered with 1914 and a clean 5-0 sweep to lead at halftime. Alingsås struck back in the third and fourth series, winning both totals by slim margins to edge the match 11–9. Noel Haglund Torgersen continued his solid performance from Saturday and fired a 300 in the second series, to finish with 1039 four-game total. Meanwhile, AIK’s new signing Lukáš Jelínek also bowled a perfect game in the final game and topped the match with 1050. Kevin Melin added 1032 for AIK. Stureby BK – Team Alingsås BC 8–12 In their third match of the weekend, Alingsås fell behind 3-7 after two series but regrouped with a 4-1 third series before unleashing a dominant 1903 in the final set to win 5-0 and take the match 12-8. Torgersen continued his breakout weekend with 952, followed closely by Lucas Fjällborg with 950. For Stureby, Tommy Wendel and Dennis Eklund both scored 934. Bodens BS – Team Pergamon BC 11–9 Just as impressive as Alingsås’ thee away wins was Boden’s surprise of the weekend - a narrow home victory over title contenders Pergamon. Despite losing several key players during the offseason, Boden opened the match with authority, posting 1711 - the only team total to break the 1700 mark. The score was 5–5 after two series, but Boden pulled ahead with a 4–1 third set and held on for a hard-fought 11–9 victory. Per Sundqvist led the home side with 913, and Philip Strandgren added 843. The duo also won all four of their points. Pergamon’s Martin Larsen posted 936, with Markus Jansson next at 836.

The Estonian Open 2025 came to a close in Tallinn on Sunday evening, withFinland’s Juhani Tonteri crowned as the champion. In a dramatic stepladder final, Tonteri edged fellow Finn Teemu Putkisto byjust one pin, winning 223–222 and earning the top prize of 5,000 euros. Tonteri led the tournament from start to finish. He topped the qualificationwith 1,450 total over six games, earning a direct bye to Final Step 2. There,he once again led the 32-player field with 1,396. In the top 16, he defeatedSweden's Emil Holmberg 2–0 (502–408), and in the quarterfinals he beatEstonia's Kaisa-Ly Lee 2–0 (467–344) to secure the No. 1 seed. Robin Miklas earned the No. 2 seed after edging Sweden’s William Svensson 2–1(673–662) in a close match. Teemu Putkisto claimed the No. 3 seed by defeatingJuho Rissanen 2–1 (641–614). Jussi Laine took the No. 4 seed after eliminatingKarl Martin Veiderpass 2–1 (645–528). In the stepladder finals, Putkisto defeated Laine 215–187 and then overcameMiklas in another tight battle, 217–213, to reach the title match againstTonteri. The final was evenly balanced, with both players trading strikes and spares.Putkisto held a narrow lead before Tonteri struck back, leaving the match tiedentering the tenth frame. Having to bowl first, Tonteri made a nine-spare and then a nine, leaving thedoor slightly open for Putkisto. He needed a strike in his final shot to forcea tie after posting an eight-spare, but the seven pin remained standing. Thatsealed Tonteri’s narrow 223–222 victory. The tournament drew more than 170 participants from 10 countries. The totalprize fund of the event was 33,000 Euros.

The Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC) has reached an agreement with theInternational Bowling Federation (IBF) to host the 2026 World YouthChampionships in Malaysia. The event will be staged at Megalanes Sarawak in Kuching, bringing the world’stop youth bowlers to the venue. This will be the first world bowling event held in Sarawak, and it also marksthe return of a world championship to Malaysian soil after 22 years. Malaysiahosted the World Bowling Championships in Kuala Lumpur back in 2003. The signing ceremony was held at Megalanes Sarawak, attended by YB Datuk AhmadIbrahim and officiated by Dato Najeeb Abdullah for MTBC, Mr. Sunny Si for theAmateur Bowling Association of Sarawak (ABAS), and Mr. Mike Seymour, CEO ofthe IBF. The World Youth Championships is one of the most important events on theinternational bowling calendar, providing young athletes a global stage tocompete at the highest level. The last World Youth Championships took place at theFiesta Bowling Center in Incheon, Korea, in 2024. Fiesta Bowling Center in Incheon, Korea, in 2024