The European Men's Bowling Championships 2025 officially got underway on Friday, June 6, with the first two singles squads taking place at Lövvang Bowling Center in Aalborg, Denmark.
The opening day showed just how demanding the 47-foot oil pattern will be throughout the week, as only 17 players out of the 92 who bowled managed to average over 200. The field average was just above 185.
Finland's Juhani Tonteri made a strong statement right from the start by winning Squad 1 with a six-game total of 1407. His consistent performance included back-to-back games of 253, 257, and 257 early in the block. Tonteri’s score not only led the day but put him over 80 pins ahead of his closest competitor.
Latvia’s Pēteris Cimdiņš overcame a slow start and bounced back with a high finish, ending with 1324 and securing second place overall. Norway’s Jonas Dammen followed closely with 1299, while Gavin Greaves of England rounded out the top four with 1294.
Greaves rolled the first 300 game of the championships in his third game and came close to perfection in the opener as well, falling just one shot short. However, his momentum dropped in the final stretch, with scores of 180, 178, and 152 bringing down his overall standing.
The high level of difficulty on the lanes was clear, as many top players struggled to string together clean games. The low scoring pace reflects the challenging conditions at this year’s championship, where oil breakdown and lane transition will play a major role.
Looking ahead, the singles competition continues on Saturday with two more squads scheduled to bowl. After all four squads are completed, the top four players will advance to the singles semifinals and final on Saturday evening.
Stay with BowlingLife.eu for complete coverage of the EMC2025.
EMC 2025 Schedule:
June 7 (Saturday)
- 09:00–12:45 – Singles Squad 3
- 13:45–17:30 – Singles Squad 4
- 18:15–18:45 – Singles Semi Final
- 18:55–19:25 – Singles Final
- 19:35–19:55 – Singles Medal Ceremony
June 8 (Sunday)
- 09:00–12:45 – Doubles Squad 1
- 13:45–17:30 – Doubles Squad 2
June 9 (Monday)
- 09:00–12:45 – Doubles Squad 3
- 13:45–17:30 – Doubles Squad 4
- 18:15–19:00 – Doubles Semi Final
- 19:10–19:55 – Doubles Final
- 20:05–20:25 – Doubles Medal Ceremony
June 10 (Tuesday)
- 08:00–11:00 – Trios Squad 1 (Games 1–3)
- 12:00–15:00 – Trios Squad 2 (Games 1–3)
- 16:00–19:00 – Trios Squad 3 (Games 1–3)
June 11 (Wednesday)
- 08:00–11:00 – Trios Squad 3 (Games 4–6)
- 12:00–15:00 – Trios Squad 1 (Games 4–6)
- 16:00–19:00 – Trios Squad 2 (Games 4–6)
- 19:45–20:45 – Trios Semi Finals
- 20:55–21:55 – Trios Final
- 22:05–22:25 – Trios Medal Ceremony
June 12 (Thursday)
- 09:00–13:30 – Team Squad 1 (Games 1–3)
- 14:30–19:00 – Team Squad 2 (Games 1–3)
June 13 (Friday)
- 08:00–12:30 – Team Squad A (Games 4–6)
- 13:30–18:00 – Team Squad B (Games 4–6)
- 18:00–18:45 – All Events Medal Ceremony
- 18:45–20:15 – Team Semi Finals
- 20:25–21:55 – Team Final
- 22:05–22:25 – Team Medal Ceremony
June 14 (Saturday)
- 09:00–10:15 – Masters Step 1
- 11:15–12:30 – Masters Step 2
- 13:15–14:30 – Masters Quarter Finals
- 14:40–15:55 – Masters Semi Finals
- 16:05–17:20 – Masters Final
- 17:30–17:50 – Masters Medal Ceremony
