Singapore's Basil Ng and Hong Kong's Jovi Ma won their pools on the opening day of the 2026 IBF World Cup at Max Munich Bowling in Brunnthal, Germany.
Italy's Giorgio Gragnaniello and Denmark's Carsten Hansen finished second, and the four became the first bowlers to qualify for the men's singles Top 32.
In the opening round, the men are drawn into four groups, and each group is split into pools. Bowlers play one-game matches against everyone in their pool, earning three points for a win and one for a tie. Only the top two from each pool advance to the singles Top 32, so pinfall alone does not decide who goes through.
The Round 1 results also count toward each country's ranking for the team event later in the week.
Pool 1: Ng Finishes First
Ng won 10 of his 11 matches (10W, 1L) and topped Pool 1 with 30 points. His only loss came in the opening match. He averaged 214.2 for 2,356 pins.
Gragnaniello took second place with an 8W, 3L record, 24 points and a 220.2 average. Naif Al Abadli of the United Arab Emirates had the same record and points total but was ranked third and missed out.
Sweden's Joachim Karlsson Rosén had the highest pinfall in the pool, 2,473 at a 224.8 average, including a 278 game. He went 7W, 4L and finished fourth with 21 points.
Pool 2: Ma Opens With 279
Ma started Pool 2 with a 279 and went 10W, 1L to finish first with 30 points. He averaged 224.5 for 2,469 pins, the highest pinfall in his pool.
Hansen lost his first two matches but recovered to go 8W, 3L and claim second place with 24 points and a 202.0 average. Australia's Liam Cochrane also went 8W, 3L, with a higher 212.1 average, but was placed third.
Malaysia's Ahmad Muaz Mohd Fishol had the second-best average in the pool at 217.4 but went 5W, 6L and finished sixth with 15 points.
First Qualifiers for the Men's Top 32
Group A Match Play Leaders
Top 2 advancers from each pool:
What Comes Next
Group A, Pools 3 and 4 were under way on Wednesday afternoon, with Group B scheduled for the evening. In Pool 4, Lukas Jelinek of the Czech Republic opened with a 300 game.
The men's Group C and D pools continue through Saturday, while the women start Round 1 on Thursday, October 15. The singles Top 32, played as best-of-three-game matches, and the medal matches are set for Sunday, October 18.
The team event follows from October 19 to 21.
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