A group of 10 junior bowlers have returned from the 2013 Storm British Junior Open which was held in Nuneaton, England.

In what was a first taste of international competition for the bulk of the squad, some excellent sporting performances were produced, resulting in more bowling honours being brought back home.

No fewer than 240 bowlers took part in the British Junior Open, spread over two weekends.

The participants, split into divisions according to their age, took part in separate single and doubles events with their cumulative scores going forward to the All Events classification in the various categories to decide who would claim the divisional titles.

Malta’s juniors showed excellent discipline throughout, in spite of the new surroundings. National Sports School student Sara Xuereb shone to take second place in the U-13 girls singles but the best was still to come.

Xuereb went on to partner Matthew Magro in the U-13 regular doubles competition and the duo managed to top the leaderboard.

Xuereb’s combined singles and doubles scores served her well, elevating her to the top of the All Events standings in her age-group to be crowned U-13 girls’ champion.

A special mention must also go to Sara’s nine-year-old brother, Edward, who is the youngest member of the MTBA junior squad.

Solid singles and doubles performances from the younger Xuereb sibling rewarded him with the runner-up position in the U-10 boys category.

The eventual outright winners of the 2013 Storm British Junior Open were Emily Allen and Curtis Hooper, both from England.

As a special prize from the Eden SuperBowl, the two champions have been awarded free entry and accommodation for next year’s Malta Youth Open, to be held in April.