VI Czech Republic Indoor Bowls Pairs Championship

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.