The last month of summer in Helsinki will once again bring the heat as one of Finland’s biggest bowling tournaments returns to Tali Bowl.
The International Hammer Challenge will take place from August 14 to 23, bringing together players from at least 14 countries for more than a week of competition at one of Europe’s best-known bowling venues.
More than 190 players have already registered, and the field is still growing. There is a good reason for that. The tournament will feature a total prize fund of €52,380, with €7,000 going to the champion.
Format
This year’s format again gives players several ways to fight their way into the final stages.
Qualification is played over six games, with entries and re-entries available. The top players from the general standings move into the A-final, while more places are available through Senior, Standard and Youth categories in the B-final.
From there, the tournament turns into match play. Players must keep winning to stay alive, first through best-of-three and best-of-five matches, before the final stages move into one-game matches. The champion will be decided in a one-game title match.
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Last year, Petteri Salonen took the IHC title after one of the most emotional runs of the tournament. The 50-year-old advanced from the seniors qualification and fought his way through the final rounds before defeating Sweden’s Alex Joki 228-211 in the title match to seal the biggest individual open-title win of his career.
Moreover, the 2026 IHC edition will also include extra prize opportunities through the 300eXtra, 250eXtra and No250eXtra challenges. These side events give players more chances to win prizes during the week, even outside the main final stages.
There are still some squad spots available. More details about the squad times and registration can be found on here.
