Malta champions Sue Abela and Mauro Anastasi at the 2013 European Champions Cup in Slovakia.

The 2014 National Championships are the most anticipated event in the local tenpin bowling calendar, and has been organised by the MTBA and played at the Eden SuperBowl, St Julian’s.

In a repeat of the 2013 edition, Mauro Anastasi managed to claim the second national title of his career in as many years, while Sue Abela made it ten in a row in the women’s competition, making it a staggering 19 national crowns during her illustrious career.

Anastasi got off to a slower start than he would have hoped for during day one’s eight-game session, the first of three for a 24-game tournament duration.

In fact, it was a couple of low games (168, 150) among an otherwise sound block that saw him end the day in fourth place on 1,605 pins. Ahead of him were Neil Sullivan 1,649, Mark Spiteri 1,625 and Justin Caruana Scicluna 1,606.

Anastasi suffered another pair of poor games on day two (154, 164), but he displayed much better scoring pace in the remaining six for a 1,689 total on the day. His 3,294 tally from 16 games shot him up to the top of the standings.

The best was yet to come for Anastasi, as the third block of eight rolled off. He ended with 1,744 and a championship-winning total of 5,038 pins.

Second place went to Sullivan (4,767) ahead of Philip Gruppetta, whose day three effort put him on 4,753, 47 ahead of Spiteri.

There are a bevy of talented female bowlers who are constantly snapping at the heels of perennial champion Abela.

However, that did not stop the defending champion leading from the early games and carrying her form to re-establish her dominance of the local game.

She finished the opening day 65 ahead of the pack on 1,566, with Melissa Swift lying second on 1,501 ahead of Tiziana Carannante (1,431).

Abela’s game dipped on day two as, incredibly, she failed to breach the 200-mark over the eight games, shooting a 1,474 for 3,040 pins over 16.

Luckily for Abela, her chasers were also a tad below the mark as Swift stayed second, 99 down on the top spot while Carannante held on to third with 2,877.

Abela turned up fully charged and in fine fettle for her third block of eight, shooting five 200+ games for a 1,657 for the day.

It was a fitting finale to rubber-stamp the title as Abela finished on 4,697, no fewer than 338 ahead of runner-up Swift (4,359), while Joanna Attard managed to displace Carannante to take third place on 4,320.

Anastasi and Abela have now embarked on a dedicated training programme under the guidance of national coach Rick Vogele-sang at the SuperBowl.

This is part of their intense preparations for participation in the Euro Champions Cup, to be held in Iceland in October.