Malta has confirmed its team for the upcoming Mediterranean Bowling Championships following a 24 game qualification tournament held over two weekends at The Superbowl.
Two men and two women will represent Malta at the event, which is scheduled to take place in Croatia from 26 April to 3 May.
In the women’s category, Tiziana Muscat Carannante and Cynthia Frendo Duca secured the top two qualification places. The competition for selection remained close throughout the tournament. After 18 games, Muscat Carannante was in third place and trailed Frendo Duca by 102 pins. Over the final six games, she recorded a 216 average to move into first place overall.
Melissa Swift finished third after competing closely with the leading pair. She reduced the gap to Frendo Duca during the final day, but Frendo Duca regained momentum and maintained a 63 pin advantage by the end of the tournament. Seventeen year old Celianne Micallef placed fourth.
In the men’s category, national champion Nicolai Mallia led the standings from the opening stage of the tournament. He completed the 24 games with a 240 average and finished 301 pins ahead of Kayden Lagana, who recorded a 228 average.
The contest for second place remained open until the final day, with Miguel Xuereb, Matthew Magro and Mauro Anastasi within reach. Lagana produced the highest total on the final day with 1415 pins, securing second place by a margin of 212 pins over Xuereb. Magro placed fourth, one pin behind Xuereb. The highest single game of the tournament was a 299 recorded by Mallia.
The Mediterranean Bowling Championships feature teams from several countries, including France, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Spain. Malta will compete in Croatia at the end of April as part of the annual international event.
