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On Saturday, March 7, 2026, the TJ Sokol Liboc gym hosted the sixth Czech Republic Indoor Bowls Pairs Championship.

Six teams arrived—three from Liboc, two from TJ Astra Zahradní Město, and one "mixed" team—proof that even the Vltava River cannot divide us.

The teams played in two groups, each playing each other. After the preliminary round, the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finally the matches for third and first place took place. The matches were played unusually over two sets of five ends, and when they ended in a tie, a decisive end was played – the so-called "Lethal end," or "Létalův end," abbreviated to "Létalák."

Similarly, more and more international tournaments are being played this way today, especially indoor ones, so it's good that everyone was able to try out this system for themselves. Some minor details in the rules still need to be fine-tuned, but this made the tournament more interesting and definitely beneficial for everyone.

Last year, indoor doubles were played over two days, and players rightly complained about the long delays between matches. This year, everything was completed in one day – although the last bowl was played well after 10 p.m., and bowlers are not exactly used to playing so late.

The special bowls carpet reminded everyone how unpredictable it can be. There was no shortage of unexpected twists in the matches or surprising results – not everyone can quickly come to terms with its pitfalls. And let's admit it, some found it difficult to resist the rich selection of homemade and purchased refreshments... But a big thank you to everyone who brought sweet, salty, and liquid treats – we really appreciate it! Thank you!

And now for the most important thing – the results. All the teams played really well, sometimes even brilliantly, and there were some spectacular shots to be seen. It is clear that, unlike in previous years, it is no longer enough to have one star player – the whole team has to work together. Many matches were exciting until the very last ball, thanks in part to the "Létalák". Of the twelve matches, six were decided by this one end, where, in addition to technique, nervousness and tactics also play a big role in the result.

In the match for third place, Jarda Novak and Radek Necas defeated last year's champions Honza Letal and Karel Sturm. After excellent and balanced performances, Jaroslav Vratny and Radek Fiala made it to the final, as did, somewhat surprisingly, the family duo Libor and Jindra Svaton. In the evening final, Jarda Vratna and Radek Fiala won quite clearly, even though tnheir opponents made a few "miraculous" throws. After winning in the triples, Jarda Vratna also took gold in the pairs – hats off and congratulations!

We are already looking forward to what this year's Indoor Masters will bring – based on this year's "indoor doubles" performance, there is definitely a lot to look forward to.

On Saturday, January 31, 2026, the TJ Sokol Liboc gym hosted the fifth Czech Indoor Bowls Triples Championship.

Five teams competed – three for TJ Sokol Liboc and two for TJ Astra Zahradní Město. The teams played each other in a round-robin format, and after the preliminary round, the matches for third and first place took place. The special bowls carpet can often be quite tricky, so there was no shortage of surprising results – not everyone can quickly adapt to the intricacies of the track.

The excellent second place finish by the trio from TJ Astra (Radek Fiala, Ivo Hadrava, Marek Sedlak) was certainly unexpected, as they only lost in the final to the "almost-defenders" of last year's victory from TJ Liboc Praha. Hurry Craig was replaced in their lineup by Radek Necs, and the remaining two players (Karel Sturm and Jaroslav Vratny) successfully defended their title. Both finalist teams played excellently throughout the tournament and earned the appreciative applause of everyone present on more than one occasion in the final.

Third place went to the team consisting of Jan Letal, Jana Marcínová, and Jarda Novak. It was Jana's competitive debut – and she immediately made a splash! Congratulations!

We would like to thank all the teams for their performance and the relaxed atmosphere. Special thanks also go to those who provided homemade delicacies and "support materials" from their home bars – they were a great success.

The TJ Astra Zahradní Město bowls club, in cooperation with the Pro Bowls e-shop, organized the first indoor tournament on a "short carpet" - the Pro Bowls Cup 2026 - on January 17, 2026, at the TJ Sokol Liboc 2026 gym.

For the first time ever in the Czech Republic, an official tournament was held in the attractive variant of indoor bowls, known as short mat bowls. Six pairs took part, which were drawn into two groups of three. The draw played a joke on us – in one group, only teams from TJ Astra Zahradní Město competed, while in the other, it was pairs from TJ Sokol Liboc.

The matches brought a number of exciting moments and interesting twists. Short mat bowls places great demands on the skill of the players, as well as their tactical and strategic thinking. Another challenge was to cope with the tricky carpet, which was not always perfectly level, adding another dimension and attractiveness to the game.

The results did not play a major role this time, as for most participants it was their first encounter with this discipline. The important thing, however, is that everyone enjoyed the tournament and the participants are already looking forward to the next "short mat" opportunity.

And those who missed out this time have a clear message: don't hesitate and come next time!

Abbreviated rules for Short Mat Bowls

The TJ Astra Zahradní Město bowls club is organizing the second annual Bowls League for Doubles (BLD).

As of the closing date for applications, 10 teams had registered for the competition:

● KaZu Team – Zuzana Skuhrovcova and Katerina Zakova

● Kangaroos – Radek Fiala and Radovan Simunek

● Liboc 1 - Slavka Vareckova and Jaroslav Vratny

● PragueLizards – Marek Sedlak and Petr Zalud

● The Lions – Ivo Hadrava and Craig Hurry

● R & M – Miroslav Cacký and Romana Opletalova

● The Frogs from Jinocany – Libor Svaton and Aida Padysakova, substitute Jindrich Svaton

● Demons – Marek Šveda and Radek Zukal

● Silent Impact – Jan Letal and Jaroslav Novak

● Friday Storm – Radek Necas and Karel Sturm, substitute David Patek

Venue: TJ Sokol Liboc grounds

Match days:

• May 12–13, 2026 May 19–20, 2026 May 26–27, 2026
• June 2–3, 2026 June 9–10, 2026 June 16–17, 2026

Game start time: standard start time is 5:00 p.m. – earlier times are possible by mutual agreement

Some game days will be designated for 4 teams, using both lanes and playing a total of 6 games – each team will play 3 games during the day.

Other game days will be in a 3-team format, playing on one lane and playing 3 games, with each team playing 2 games.

The draw will take place at the Czech Indoor Triples Championship on January 31, 2026

Note: The organizer proposes two changes to the rules of the game:

• The time limit for the game is canceled
• The procedure in case of bad weather will be specified (interruption of up to 10 minutes; interruption of more than 10 minutes; postponement of the match)

Entry fee: CZK 200 per team

For the third time, the preparatory camp will take place at the beautiful South Queensferry Bowling Club, located in picturesque Queensferry, Scotland.

Date: May 7–12, 2026

Departure on Thursday, May 7 at noon, playing days Friday, Saturday, Sunday, arrival on Monday, May 12 in the morning, i.e. three full playing days.

Note: shorter (longer) stays are also possible

If you are interested, join the WA group "Camp Edinburgh 2026".