Malta’s young bowling sensation Nicolai Mallia achieved a remarkable milestone at the European Championship of Champions (ECC) in Vienna, finishing in sixth place overall, the highest ever placing by a Maltese male bowler in the tournament’s history.
At just 16 years old, Mallia, the reigning National Champion, produced an outstanding performance against a field of 38 elite competitors, each representing their respective countries as national champions. Bowling with remarkable consistency and composure, Mallia secured his place among Europe’s best with a stunning 226.8 average across three sets of eight games, earning a spot in the top 12 finalists.
During this phase, Mallia also shattered local records, amassing a total of 5,443 pins, which included a new national youth record and an exceptional eight-game series total of 1,866, achieved during the mixed doubles alongside Cynthia Frendo Duca.
The young Maltese star continued his impressive form in the finals, delivering a historic moment for Maltese bowling by scoring the first-ever perfect 300 game by a Maltese player in ECC history. His eight-game final total of 1,754 (219.25 average), combined with his earlier score, secured him sixth place overall, a record-breaking achievement for Maltese ten-pin bowling.
In the women’s competition, Cynthia Frendo Duca faced a difficult start but showed resilience to recover on the final day, finishing in 36th place. Together, Mallia and Frendo Duca placed 19th out of 38 teams in the mixed doubles category.
The championship titles went to Emma Palermaa of Finland, who defeated Hayley Russell of England 2-0 in the women’s final, and Lukas Jelinek of the Czech Republic, who triumphed 2-1 over outgoing champion Maxime Dubois of France in a thrilling men’s showdown.
Malta’s national champions were accompanied by National Coach Mark Spiteri, whose guidance proved crucial throughout the tournament. The participation was made possible through the support of SportMalta and the Maltese Olympic Committee.
Mallia’s exceptional performance not only cements his place in Malta’s sporting history but also signals the emergence of a new generation of Maltese bowlers ready to compete at the highest level.
