15th December, Doha: Two-time PBA Player of the Year, Mika Koivuniemi won his second consecutive international title after outclassing Tony Ranta in the all-Finish finals of the 12th Qatar Bowling Open on Saturday.

Koivuniemi, who topped both the Step 1 and Step 2 finals to advance into the Step 3 semi-finals, took a 32 pin lead over his compatriot, Tony Ranta in the first game with a 278-246 win. The top seed was unstoppable as he got all his shot into the pocket and almost came off with an identical scoreline in the second game.

It was a seemingly perfect pocket shot in the tenth frame but left 7-10 split to end the second game with another 266-225 victory to take the title with a two-game total of 544 against Ranta's 471.

"This is my first title in this part of the world and I'm glad I finally broke that jinx," said the 45-year-old owner of 10 PBA titles. "It's been a good two weeks especially coming off with a victory in the Japan Cup.

"I was using the Track 811 CT throughout today and the ball worked just great. Tony (Ranta) rallied on well but I guessed I had better luck this time. I lost to Dominic Barrett last year in the final frame of the second game and I made sure it wasn't going to happen again this time.

The champion had earlier ousted fourth-seed, Martin Larsen of Sweden 442-385 to advance into the championship match while 21-year-old Ranta, who won the Chandra Open in the Netherlands this year, edged PBA pro, Tommy Jones of the United States, 389-361 in the other semi-final.

Koivuniemi pocketed the top prize of 30,000 Euro, the 19th and final stop of this year's Eurpoean Bowling Tour. In addition, the victory also earn the lanky Finn his 11th PBA title as this tournament is the first leg of the 2012/2013 PBA-World Bowling Tour.

Ranta settled for 14,000 Euro as Jones and Larsen took home 5,000 Euro each. Dominic Barrett of England and Birgit Poppler of Germany emerged as 2012 EBT champions to earn 2,000 Euro each.

Mr Kevin Dornberger, President of FIQ and WTBA together with Mr Salam Abbas, President of Qatar Bowling Federation, presented the prizes to the winners. Mr Kim Jensen, Vice President of EBF and Tour Director, presented the prizes to the EBT champions.

A total of 142 bowlers from 26 countries took part in this year's tournament generating 598 entries. 68 players were from the GCC, 9 from other Arab countries, 12 from the American zone, 40 from Europe and 13 from Asia.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Doha.

15th December, Doha: Two-time PBA Player of the Year, Mika Koivuniemi got off to a flying start as the Finn topped Step 1 finals of the 12th Qatar Bowling Open ahead of Ida Andersson of Sweden and Bill O'Neil of USA second and third.

Andersson set a blistering pace in her opening game with 259 to lead Koivuniemi by 9 pins, who got off the mark well with 258. The Swede continued to lead the field with 231, 191, 219 and 237 while Koivuniemi traded second spot with O'Neil, Swede Martin Larsen and Finn Tony Ranta.

But Andersson had to settle for second position with 1348 after ending poorly with 163 in her sixth and final game. Koivuniemi topped the stage with 1369 with the American, O'Neil taking third spot with 1346.

A second American PBA pro, Josh Blanchard finished fourth with 1325 followed by Ranta rounding off the top 5 with 1311.

Squeezing into the next stage at 19th position was American pro, Ronnie Russell with 1231 thanks to his higher final game of 226. Randi Brogard Christensen of Denmark missed the cut despite tieing with Russell but had a lower final game.

Several contenders failed to progress including Day 1 high series winner and two-time AMF World Cup champion, Aumi Guerra of Dominican Republic managing only 26th position with 1204, 26 pins off the cut.

Also missing was England's Stuart Williams in 24th position, Denmark's Jimmy Mortensen in 36th position and Canadian, Dan MacLelland in 37th position.

The top 19 advanced into Step 2 finals for another 6 games joined by the top 9 seeded qualifiers. The top 4 finishers will advance to the Step 3 finals.

The top ranked will face the fourth ranked and the second ranked will meet the third ranked over two games total in Step 3 finals. The winners will proceed to Step 4 title match again over two games total to determine the champion.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Doha.

14th December, Doha: PBA pros, Mike Fagan and Chris Barnes of United States grabbed the top two spots on Squad 15 qualifying round of the 12th Qatar Bowling Open to move into fifth and sixth positions in the overall standings.

Fagan, owner of three PBA titles from Dallas, Texas topped the squad with 1377 despite having an eratic score lines. The 2012 USBC Masters champion rolled 254, 192, 268, 182, 244 and 237 to finish just 1 pin ahead of compatriot, Chris Barnes.

Both were in 28th and 51st positions priot to this squad and were exceptional to make the top 9 bracket. Defending champion and current EBT leader, Dominic Barrett of England also impressed with 1369 behind the two Americans.

Barrett also got himself into the top 8 bracket but only in eighth position. The trio knocked out top Qatari, Zakareya Al-Zooqari, who managed to make the top bracket in sixth position last night with 1365 but now dropped out into 10th.

2011 AMF Australian Masters champion, Wu Siu Hong, who has been struggling in the past two days, made changes to his bowling ball surface and was able to end fourth in the squad with 1359 but in 11th position overall.

EBT women leader, Birgit Pöppler of Germany remained firmly in the lead of the overall standings with 1464. She picked up the Day 4 high series award before Squad 16 started. American sole left-hander, Anthony Pepe finished second with 1434.

England's Paul Moor and Denmark's Jesper Agerbo took third and fourth positions with 1397 and 1383 followed by Fagan and Barnes.

Early leader and Day 2 high series award winner, Hareb Al Mansoori of UAE, Barrett and PBA pro, Tom Smallwood of USA completed the top 9 qualifiers. The current cut at 9th position is 1366 held by Smallwood.

Day 1 and Day 3 high series award winners, Aumi Guerra of Dominican Republic and Martin Larsen of Denmark dropped down to 12th and 13th positions behind Wu. The cut at 36th position is now held by Tim Mack of USA at 1296.

Two more squads - 16 and 17 remained and qualifying will end with the desperado squad at 11.00pm local time in which four highest single-game scorer will join positions 10 to 36 qualifiers to make up 38 finalists for Step 1 tomorrow.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Doha.

13th December, Doha: It was lucky 13 for American, Anthony Pepe after he became the second bowler to break the 1400-mark with 1434 to win Squad 13 and moved into the top bracket of the 12th Qatar Bowling Open qualifying standings.

Pepe led an American onslaught by taking the top 4 spots in Squad 13 after rolling 190, 244, 206, 290, 249 and 255 for a massive 1434 total to win the squad. Tom Smallwood finished second with 1366 ahead of PBA pro, Tommy Jones third with 1347.

Josh Blanchard completed the American domination with 1334 to finish fourth while Abdulla Haroon of Qatar rounded up the top 5 with 1328.

Defending champion, Dominic Barrett of England improved on his earlier effort of 1255 with 131o to take up sixth in the squad.

Pepe's 1434 moved the southpaw into second position in the overall standings, 30 pins behind current EBT women leader, Birgit Pöppler, who topped the standings from an earlier Squad 12.

England's Paul Moor slipped down one place into third with 1397. Denmark's Jesper Agerbo and UAE's Hareb Al Mansoori occupied fourth and fifth positions with 1383 and 1371 respectively while Smallwood's 1366 put him in sixth position.

Agerbo's compatriot and Day 3 high series award winner, Thomas Larsen took seventh position with 1356 and Day 1 high series winner and two-time AMF World Cup champion, Aumi Guerra of Dominican Republic slipped three places into eighth on 1356.

Day 2 high series winner, Shaker Al Hassan of UAE took the ninth and final spot of the top bracket with 1355 as Japan Cup champion, Mika Koivuniemi of Finland dropped out of the top 9 with 1354.

PBA pro, Tommy Jones, who finished third in this squad, made the cut in 12th position, behind current Asia Ranked No.1 Yousif Falah of Bahrain in 11th spot.

The current cut at 36th position is held by Mohammed Jamal of Qatar with 1284. Last year's cut at 36th position was 134-over while the cut for the top 9 was 190-over.

Three more squads will be staged tomorrow on the final day of qualifying. There will be a desperado squad staged toward the end of qualifying for the top 4 single-game scorer to join the Step 1 finals.

The top 19 in the 6-games Step 1 finals will be joined by the top 9 seeded qualifiers for another 6 games in Step 2 finals in which the top 4 will advance to the Step 5 finals.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Doha.

13th December, Doha: Current European Tour leader, Birgit Pöppler of Germany cracked the 1400-mark with 1464 in Squad 12 of the 12th Qatar Bowling Open to move into the lead of the overall qualifying standings on Thursday.

Leading the EBT with 570 points, 32 pins ahead of Sweden's Sandra Andersson, the Brunswick Euro Challenge champion, Pöppler had an aweful start in her attempt with 146 as Denmark's Jesper Agerbo and Finland's Mika Koivuniemi set the early pace.

Despite recovering with 219 and 247 in her next two games, the 602 series may not improve her earlier 1341 total bowled in Squad 4. The German quickened her pace with 244 and then almost fired the tournament's first perfect game but missed the head pin in her final throw to knock down just five pins after rolling 11 consecutive strikes.

Pöppler ended the squad with 265 for an incredible 804 second series to amass 1464, with 48 pins handicap, to become the first bowler to crack the 1400-mark.

She had now overtaken the lead in the overall standings followed by England's Paul Moor, who shot 1397 in his first attempt in the same squad to take up second spot.

Denmark's Jesper Argebo notched up 1383 in the same squad to jump up from 79 position to third overall. Leader for the past three days, Hareb Al Mansoori of UAE dropped down to fourth with 1371 along with Day3 high series winner, Thomas Larsen of Denmark fifth with 1356.

Two-time AMF World Cup champion and runner-up in Wroclaw eary this month, Aumi Guerra of Dominican Republic also fell to sixth position with 1356.

Day 2 high series award winner, Shaker Al Hassan of UAE took up seventh position with 1355 followed by newly-crowned Japan Cup and winner of his 10 PBA title, Mika Koivuniemi in eighth with 1354.

The cut in the top bracket is now held by current Asia Ranked No. 1, Yousif Falah of Bahrain in ninth position with 1349. Indonesia's Ryan Lalisang, despite improving slightly over his previous score with 1345, dropped out of the top bracket.

Current cut at 36th position is Stuart Williams of England with 1270 just 3 pins behind Malaysia's Alex Liew in 35th with 1273 and Hong Kong's Wu Siu Hong in 34th with 1275.

Several PBA pros, Bill O'Neil of USA, Dan MacLelland of Canada and Tommy Jones of USA made the cut in 15th, 17th and 26th positions with 1332, 1323 and 1291 respectively. WBT Grand Finals champion, Chris Barnes of USA has yet to make his attempt.

Two more squads remains for today and another three tomorrow before the finals on Saturday, December 15.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Doha.

12th December, Doha: Denmark's Thomas Larsen took Squad 10 on Day 4 of the qualifying rounds of the 12th Qatar Bowling Open to move into second overall joined by Bahrain's Yousif Falah and Sweden's Martin Larsen in fifth and eighth positions.

Larsen started off with a blistering 247 in his opening game to share the lead with current leader and GCC Masters gold medalist, Hareb Al Mansoori of UAE as Mattias Wetterberg and Yousif Falah followed closely with 246 and 243.

The Dane followed it up with 222 and 224 to lead the pack at the halfway mark while Yousif and Martin Larsen remained in close company.

Despite a slight set back in the forth game from the leader with 170, Larsen bounced back with 237 and 256 to end the series with 1356 and topping Squad 10. Yousif finished second with 1349 with a strong 236 final game.

Martin Larsen did well to take third spot in the squad with 1341 especially being his first attempt. Indonesia's Ryan Lalisang and another Swede, Dennis Eklund rounded up the top 5 with 1319 and 1287 respectively.

The Dane's second attempt moved him up into second overall in the qualifying standings, 15 pins behind leader, Hareb Al Mansoori, who remained in the lead with 1371. Two-time AMF World Cup champion and winner of Day 1 high series award, Aumi Guerra of Dominican Republic slipped to third on 1356.

Day 3 high series award winner, Shaker Al Hassan of UAE also dropped one rung down to fourth with 1355 while Yousif cracked the top bracket in sixth.

Lalisang, John Guldbaek of Denmark, Martin Larsen and Birgit Poppler of Germany made up the top 9 qualifiers after Squad 10 with Squad 11 left for Day 4 qualifying. The cut for the top 9 is estimated tobe around 160-over by December 14.

The current cut at 36th poisition is held by Mattias Wetterberg on 1230 or just 30-over. This would certainly increase and will probably be around the 80-over mark or more. Qualifying will end on December 14 with the Step 1, 2 and 3 finals to be contested on December 15.

Photos by Terence Yaw.

11th December, Doha: Jaya Ancol Bowl's Ryan Lalisang of Indonesia topped Squad 7 on the third day qualifying round of the 12th Qatar Bowling Open after tieing with Squad 6 leader, John Guldbaek of Denmark.

Lalisang got off the mark with a superb 236 but dropped his pace in his second and third game with 214 and 197. The 30-year-old Indonesian bounced back with 202 and 264 before rounding off the squad with 232.

Although Lalisang tied with Squad 6 leader, John Guldbaek on 1343, his higher final game may earned his the Day 3 high series award of Euro 200 provided no other bowlers topple his effort in the final Squad 8 of the day.

Day 2 top qualifier, Hareb Al Mansoori remained in the lead with 1371 followed by Aumi Guerra of Dominican Republic in second with 1356. Lalisang moved into the top bracket in third position while Guldbaek took fourth spot.

Birgit Poppler of Germany slipped down to fifth with 1341 from third overnight followed by Jimmy Mortensen of Denmark in sixth position with 1331.

Isaac Russell Paul of Malaysia, Hussain Al Suwaidi of UAE and Pia Gronne Burkal of Denmark completed the top 9 with 1321, 1319 and 1316 respectively.

The American PBA pros will be arriving Doha tomorrow and will surely drive the scores of the top 9 to a higher level. Many European bowlers' arrival were delayed due to adverse wether conditions in their home cities in which fights were cancelled.

They are also due to arrive Doha tomorrow and competition will intensify especially with only two days left for qualifying. Other bowlers from the region are also expected to compete in this prestigious tournament.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Doha.

10th December, Doha: GCC Championships Masters gold medalist, Hareb Al Mansoori of UAE took the early lead after two days of the qualifying rounds of the 12th Qatar Bowling Open underway at Qatar Bowling Center.

Two-time AMF World Cup champion and first runner-up at this year's tournament in Wroclaw, Poland last week, Aumi Guerra of Dominican Republic won the Day 1 high series award of Euro 200 with a 1356 effort in the opening squad on Monday.

Asian Championships Doubles gold medalist, Hussain Al Suwaidi of UAE finished second to Guerra with 1319 while Mohammed Jamal of Qatar took third spot with 1284. Malaysian, Alex Liew's effort of 1273 failed to topple the Dominican despite winning the second squad.

Liew's compatriot and Indonesia Open champion, Isaac Russell Paul completed his second attempt with 1321 to take Squad 3 on Tuesday but was overhauled by Hareb Al Mansoori after the Emirati topped Squad 4 to win the Day 2 high series award of Euro 200.

Hareb led the overall qualifying standings after two days with 1371 ahead of Guerra in second while Germany's Birgit Poppler claimed third spot after finishing second to Hareb in the same squad.

Denmark's Jimmy Mortensen rolled 1331 to finish fourth while Isaac was content with a top 5 finishing. Hussain slipped down to sixth position ahead of two Danes, Pia Gronne Burkal and Sascha Wedel taking seventh and eighth positions with 1316 and 1295 respectively. Qatar's Khalid Al-Emadi completed the top 9 with 1289.

The top 9 at the end of the qualifying rounds which will end on December 14, will earn a bye straight into Stage 2 finals. Qualifiers from positions 10 to 36 will be joined by the top 2 seeded qualifiers from Day 1 and the top 3 seeded qualifiers from Day 2.

Three more seeded qualifiers from Day 3 (squads 6 -8) will also make the cut for STage 1 finals which will be contested on December 15. Four more slots will be reserved for the top 4 qualifiers from the one-game desperado squad.

The 12th Qatar Bowling Open, the final stop of the 2012 European Tour has been awarded the first Major stop of the 2012/2013 PBA-World Bowling Tour in which bowlers will be able to earn ranking points for the Grand Finals.

Photos by Terence Yaw.