As reported yesterday, the 100.000 Euro Viernheim Open in Germany was cancelled, which brought the number of tournaments on the 2007 European Bowling Tour to 20.

After we have published the sad news, Kim Thorsgaard Jensen, ETBF Vice President and EBT Director, Denmark, had to admit that he had already received another cancellation some days ago.

The EBT lost its season-ending event, the Kungsbacka International Tournament, which was scheduled for December 9-16, 2007 at the Kungsbacka Bowling Center in Kungsbacka, Sweden.

Thorsgaard Jensen (pictured left) says that he cannot comprehend Lundin's decision, who gave the EBT rule changes as official reason for his decision. According to Thorsgaard Jensen "in general ETBF (European Tenpin Bowling Federation) never changes the central rules and premises for one year's tour, after the tour has been published."

The Kungsbacka International entered the European Bowling Tour in its third season in the year 2002 and was the season-ending tournament since this time. A newcomer on the EBT, the Storm English Open, to be held from December 5 through 9, 2007 at Lakeside Superbowl in Nuneaton, England, will take over the privilege to decide about the final ranking positions.

Though The ETBF has announced that it impossible for any tournament to leave the tour after the schedule is published, Viernheim and Kungsbacka will keep their tour stop numbers (Viernheim No. 15, Kungsbacka No. 21) and have to pay the prize for it.

Thorsgaard Jensen states that both "tournaments are furthermore obliged to pay their EBT fees, exactly as it is the case for the previously cancelled Olympia Tournament in Helsingborg (Editor's note: The tournament was supposed to be the 15th event of the 2007 EBT schedule. Though already cancelled in Sept. 2006, the ETBF didn't find a substitute), for the purpose to contribute financially to the EBT 2007 they once joined and for the benefit of the players in the tour. We indeed expect all three organizers to fulfill their obligations concerning the EBT 2007 fees."

Though the EBT has lost about 200.000 Euro through the three cancellations it will still reach the one million Euro plateau in total prize fund (one Euro is currently approx 1,26 US Dollar) and slightly exceeds the 2006 EBT total prize fund - of course supposed that there will be no more cancellations.

2007 European Bowling Tour Schedule

19 Tournaments - 13 Majors and 6 Challengers
Events denoted in red are classed as "major"; * Test event (conducted on dual lane condition) - double ranking points like a "major"

EBT #1: Brunswick Ballmaster Open
Tali Bowling Stadium in Helsinki, Finland (Jan. 6-14, 2007)
Champion: Kimmo Lehtonen, Finland
Women's ranking winner: Piritta Kantola, Finland

*EBT #2: Hammer Bronzen Schietspoel Tournament 2007
Dolfijn Bowling in Tilburg, Netherlands (Feb. 14-18, 2007)
Champion: Paul Moor, England
Women's ranking winner: Martina Beckel, Germany

EBT #3: Ebonite International Luxembourg Open
Inter Bowling in Foetz, Luxembourg (Feb. 21-25, 2007)
Champion: Paul Moor, England
Women's ranking winner: Nicole Sanders, Netherlands

EBT #4: V Catalonia Open - Trofeo Galasa
Bowling Pedralbes in Barcelona, Spain (Feb. 28 - March 4, 2007)

EBT #5: Brunswick Euro Challenge
Strike Bowling Club in Thessalonica, Greece (March 9-18, 2007)

EBT #6: Husqvarna International
Jönköping Bowling Arena in Jönköping, Sweden (April 2-8, 2007)

EBT #7: 4th Istanbul Bowling Open
Timeout Bowling Center in Istanbul, Turkey (April 23-29, 2007)

EBT #8: 2nd Paraske Cup
Paraske Bowl in Haine-St-Paul/La Louviere, Belgium (May 12-20, 2007)

EBT #9: Brunswick Aalborg International 2007
Lovvang Bowling Center in Aalborg, Denmark (May 21-27, 2007)

EBT #10: Storm Dutch Open 2007
Dolfijn Bowling in Scheveningen, Netherlands (June 6-10, 2007)

EBT #11: Malta Open Championships
Eden SuperBowl in St. Julians, Malta (June 20-24, 2007)

EBT #12: 3rd Storm San Marino Open
Rose’n Bowl in Serravalle, San Marino (July 14-22, 2007)

EBT #13: 29 Trofeu Internacional Ciutat de Barcelona
Bowling Pedralbes in Barcelona, Spain (July 24-29, 2007)

EBT #14: Danish Masters Classic
World Cup Hallen in Copenhagen, Denmark (Aug. 3-12, 2007)

Cancelled
EBT #15: 3rd Gutperle Viernheim Open 2007
Bowling Gutperle Viernheim in Viernheim, Germany (Sep. 8-16, 2007)

EBT #16: Ankara Open
Rollhouse Bowling Center in Ankara, Turkey (Sep. 15-23, 2007)

EBT #17: Norwegian Open
Veitvet Bowling Center in Oslo, Norway (September 29 - Oct. 7, 2007)

EBT #18: Vienna Open
Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria (Oct. 16-21, 2007)

EBT #19: 4th Oltremare Open
Oltremare Bowling Arena in Naples, Italy (Nov. 12-18, 2007)

EBT #20: Storm English Open
Lakeside Superbowl in Nuneaton, England (Dec. 5-9, 2007)

Cancelled
EBT #21: Kungsbacka International Tournament
Kungsbacka Bowling Center in Kungsbacka, Sweden (Dec. 9-16, 2007)