OPENING CEREMONY
General Director for Youth & Sport Mehmet Atalay (pictured) opened the 27th European Championships Individual Tuesday evening, welcoming the competitors from 36 nations and expressing the wish that they return to Turkey as often as they can. He added that bowling brings together so many people from distant nations in friendly competition and is a tremendous asset to Turkey's sporting program.
In an impressive opening ceremony with the Turkish Bowling & Darts Federation's Onder Gurkan as an exemplary MC, the Federation President, Metin Sertoglu, also expressed a warm welcome and said that the organizing committee will work solidly to ensure a memorable event. He added that he was sure that the players would go home with pleasant memories of Turkey and the tournament and hoped that this country will be able to host more events in the future.

The players' oath was taken by Turkey's Habib Dogan, holding the ETBF flag held by Ankara's top youth girl bowler, Eylul Peksen.
All formalities and practice sessions have now been completed and the ladies take to the lanes at 9:00am on Wednesday morning for their first block of six games on the short oil condition.
Somehow, defending champion Heta-Maija Allen of Finland lost her luggage en route to Ankara but it fortunately arrived Tuesday afternoon, so she had to practice alone on lanes alongside the men.

Taking the players' oath                                             Opening ceremony parade

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