Gibraltar Petanque President’s Cup 2026: Aykroyd & Chantler Crowned Champions

The tournament, played in a two-group format, delivered a compelling showcase of skill and strategy, with tightly contested matches, clinical shooting, and sharp tactical play setting the tone throughout the day.



Group 1 quickly established itself as fiercely competitive, featuring four strong pairings battling for supremacy from the very first end. Bryan Aykroyd & Albert Chantler soon set themselves apart as the team to beat, opening their campaign with a confident 13–7 victory over Chris Edmundson & Annette Pendlebury. They carried that momentum forward with a composed 13–6 win against Pat Edmundson & Gill Robinson, before underlining their dominance with a commanding 13–4 triumph over Richard Whitear & Peter Celecia to secure top spot in the group.

Images: Gibraltar Petanque Association

Whitear & Celecia, however, proved to be formidable opponents in their own right. Showing resilience and composure, they recorded a solid 13–7 victory over Pat Edmundson & Gill Robinson and edged a thrilling contest against Chris Edmundson & Annette Pendlebury 13–11.

Edmundson & Pendlebury were at the heart of some of the group’s most gripping encounters, narrowly missing out in a series of fine margins, including 13–11 defeats to both Whitear & Celecia and Pat Edmundson & Gill Robinson. The latter pairing demonstrated admirable determination throughout, bouncing back from a difficult start to claim a hard-fought 13–11 victory of their own.

In Group 2, the three competing teams ensured the intensity remained high, with every match closely fought. Mario Victory & Emily McMahon made an assured start, overcoming Monty Larcombe & Mandy Briggs 13–6, before securing their place in the final with a dramatic 13–12 win over Graham Smith & Nina Whitting, one of the standout clashes of the day.

Smith & Whitting responded impressively to that narrow defeat, regrouping to defeat Larcombe & Briggs 13–10 and keeping the group finely balanced until the closing stages. Larcombe & Briggs, meanwhile, showed great spirit and persistence, remaining competitive throughout their matches.

The final brought together two of the day’s standout pairings, as the unbeaten Aykroyd & Chantler faced Victory & McMahon in a contest worthy of the occasion. Ends were traded in a tense and closely fought battle, but Aykroyd & Chantler’s consistency and composure ultimately proved decisive, guiding them to a 13–10 victory and the President’s Cup title.

Bryan Aykroyd & Albert Chantler were duly crowned champions, with Mario Victory & Emily McMahon finishing as deserving runners-up. The Gibraltar Petanque Association extended its congratulations to all players and expressed its appreciation to participants and spectators alike for contributing to a memorable day of pétanque.