Balkan Billiards Championship – Round 2
The second round of the Balkan Billiards Association (BBA) Championship took place on May 10–11 in Vlora, Albania. This event, part of a six-round series scheduled throughout the year, was hosted by the “Kin 9” Billiard Club and welcomed 71 players from Bulgaria, Kosovo, Greece, North Macedonia, and Albania.
Following an Albanian victory in the first round, the home country once again claimed the title in the second round. Veteran player Edmond Zaja delivered a commanding performance, defeating Chris Papageorgiou of Greece in the final with a decisive score of 9–3. Zaja’s victory reaffirmed his status as one of the top billiards players in the Balkans, proving that experience continues to prevail at the highest level.
Chris Papageorgiou impressed with his strong run in the tournament, earning his first-ever BBA medal and demonstrating great potential for future events.
The two bronze medals were claimed by:
• Ermal Dyli (Albania), winner of the first round, who narrowly lost to Papageorgiou in the semifinal (7–9);
• Daniel Malchev (Bulgaria), who continued his consistent form with a second consecutive third-place finish, after falling to Zaja (5–9) in the semifinals.
Quarterfinal highlights included:
• Besjan Sinanaj (Albania), defeated by Dyli (3–9);
• Lambi Papa (Albania), eliminated by Papageorgiou (3–9);
• Julian Xhafa (Albania), who lost to Malchev (1–9);
• Dritar Bajrami (North Macedonia), who once again reached the final eight and put up a tough fight against Zaja, losing 6–9. This marks his second consecutive fifth-place finish, confirming his growing consistency at a high level.
The junior competitors also made a notable impression. Astrit Dervishaj (Albania), Veliyan Salambashev, and Georgi Terziyski (both from Bulgaria) progressed to the second day of the tournament, ultimately finishing tied for 17th place—a strong result indicating the rising talent in the region.
As a reward for their success, finalists Edmond Zaja and Chris Papageorgiou earned free entry to the upcoming Euro Tour event in Austria.
Updated BBA Ranking – Top 8 after Round 2:
1. Ermal Dyli
2. Chris Papageorgiou
3. Daniel Malchev
4. Dritar Bajrami
5. Julian Xhafa
6. Sashko Dimitrov
7. Orestis Psomopoulos
8. Besjan Sinanaj
The third round of the championship is scheduled to take place on June 28–29 in Thessaloniki, Greece, hosted by Billiard Center Club.
