World bowling champion Mihai-Alin Drăgnia partners with AVALW

We are proud to announce our partnership with Mihai-Alin Drăgnia, men's doubles world champion and one of Romania's most consistent bowlers of recent years. We are making the announcement as Mihai, only 21, represents Romania at the International Bowling Federation (IBF) World Cup in Germany, the most important event of the season on the international circuit. We chose this partnership because of a record already proven on three continents. We want to stand with an athlete at a decisive moment in his career and give him the stability and visibility he has earned.

The 2026 IBF World Cup runs from October 12 to 21 at Max Munich Bowling in Brunnthal, on the edge of Munich. It is the first time the event has been held in Europe. The organisers expect 284 athletes, with 45 national federations entering men's teams and 26 entering women's teams. The program opens with the singles events: two days of qualifying, then the knockout rounds through to the medal finals. The tournament closes with the team event, which culminates on October 21 with the quarterfinals, semifinals and final.

In men's singles, Mihai bowls in Group C, Pool C3. His opponents come from every corner of the world: Christopher Via (USA), Kairat Mendygaliev (Kazakhstan), Roei Yehene (Israel) and Marko Kovačević (Croatia). They are joined by Merwin Matheiu Tan (Philippines), Rashid Al Marzooqi (United Arab Emirates), Hok Hin Lei (Macau), Muhammad Rafiq Ismail (Malaysia), Jurijs Bokums (Latvia), Mathijs Beverdam (Netherlands) and Simon Jaroš (Slovakia). Qualifying is played over 11 games on an oil pattern that forgives nothing. What counts here is precision, consistency from one game to the next and the ability to read quickly how the lanes change over the day.

World champion in Hong Kong

For Mihai, facing Rafiq Ismail carries special meaning. The Malaysian was part of the pair that Mihai and Mate Balazs-Becsi beat in the semifinal of the IBF World Championships in Hong Kong in November 2025. That match was one of the tensest of the tournament. The Romanians lost the first game by 12 pins, 235–247. They levelled at 235–221, then closed the match with a 231–166 that left no room for a reply.

The Hong Kong final was the high point of his career so far. The Romanian pair met Germany's Paul Purps and Dennis Grünheid and won 2–0, 238–233 and 215–179. The specialist press described the performance as flawless. It was Romania's first world title in men's doubles in the history of the IBF World Championships. The result moved Romanian bowling from the realm of surprises into the realm of expectations.

At the same World Championships, Mihai showed that the doubles title was no fluke. He finished 5th in singles, very close to an individual medal. It is the best result a Romanian has ever achieved in this event at world level. Singles is considered the most honest test in bowling: there is no teammate to make up for a weak game, and a missed series cannot be recovered. A top-five finish in a field from more than 40 countries places Mihai among the true elite of the sport.

European medals and a continental record

Six months before Hong Kong, Mihai had already been part of a historic moment for Romanian sport. At the European Men's Championships in Aalborg, Denmark, in June 2025, he bowled in trios with Cătălin Gheorghe and Mate Balazs-Becsi. Romania achieved something unprecedented: both of its trios reached the semifinals. The two bronze medals were Romania's first-ever medals at the European Men's Championships. The event is considered the toughest in Europe, because every country sends six players.

The foundation for these results was laid in his junior years. At the 2024 European Youth Championships in Helsinki, Mihai and Mate won doubles gold. They beat Denmark's pair 430–413 in the semifinal and defeated the hosts, Finland, in the final. In qualifying they also set a European record: 555 pins in a single doubles game, 298 for Mate and 257 for Mihai. It is a score few pairs reach even at senior level.

Also in 2024, Mihai became the first Romanian to win a medal at the European Champions Cup, taking bronze at the edition in Slovakia. It is the event that brings together the national champions of Europe. The same year, at the Youth World Cup in Lima, Peru, he finished qualifying in 4th place and reached the quarterfinals. Taken together, these results show a rare trajectory: steady growth, from European junior level to senior world medals, in just two years.

Invited by the PBA in the United States

His quality has been noticed beyond Europe as well. In April 2026, the PBA (Professional Bowlers Association), the professional league of the United States, granted him one of nine international exemptions into the main field of the World Series of Bowling XVII. The selection was based on a review of his record and international rankings. The exemption gave him direct entry into the most important event on the American professional circuit, without the pre-tournament qualifier. The tournament was held at Bowlero Brooklyn Park, near Minneapolis, with finals broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

The World Series of Bowling means two weeks of competition on four oil patterns, from the shortest (Cheetah, 35 feet) to the longest (Shark, 48 feet). On each of them, the best players in the world compete for PBA titles. In his first appearance, Mihai missed the televised finals of one of the events by only 9 pins. It is a tiny margin at that level, and it shows he can compete on equal terms with the American professionals.

Why Mihai

Why Mihai? Because he reflects the way we build at AVALW. We develop international digital platforms, from news publications to price comparison and tools powered by artificial intelligence. We build them with analysis, discipline, fast adaptation and uncompromising standards. That is exactly what we see in the way Mihai approaches his sport. For us, this partnership is not a moment of publicity but a long-term collaboration with an athlete who has already shown, through his results, what he can do.

Bowling is a sport of precision, where every decision is measured in centimetres and every mistake shows up immediately on the scoreboard. It is played by tens of millions of people around the world, and over the past two years Romania has become a recognised force on the international stage. Mihai is the face of this generation: a young man who has taken Romanian bowling to the top of the world rankings through hard work, patience and consistency. We recognise ourselves in that path: we also build step by step, on data and on results, with a long-term view. That is why we want his story to reach our audience around the world.

In Munich, Mihai faces a competition where every pin counts. The team event follows, where Romania arrives as a nation with medals at the latest European and World Championships. We will follow his progress at every event on the international calendar and keep you updated here, on the AVALW page. Mihai, thank you for your trust, and we wish you every success in Munich and in the season ahead. Together, towards new achievements!

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