A daunting task for Singapore

5th November, Ho Chi Minh City: Singapore faces a daunting task to qualify for the top 4 semifinal knockout stage of the Team events of the 3rd Asian Indoor Games 2009 after a lack luster performance in the first block.  After a promising display in the Doubles event on Wednesday when Daphne Tan and Gina Lim made the Doubles quarterfinal knockout stage only to make an early exit, Gina Lim, Shayna Ng, Fok Ka Wai and Daphne Tan only managed 750, 786 and 751 for a total of 2287.

World Women's Championship winning team of Jeon Eun Hee, Gang Hye Eun, Hwang Sun Ok and anchored by two gold medalist, Son Yun Hee snatched the lead from pace-setter Japan with a total of 2593.

Japan settled for second with 2488 after a poor final game of 693. Malaysia's Doubles silver and bronze medalist, Fatin Syazliana, Tengku Emanina Laily, Sharon Koh and Sin Li Jane finished stronger to take up third with 2474.

Katherine Lau shot the tournament's second perfect 300 in the opening game to help her teammates, Milki Ng, Chan Shuk Han and Vanessa Fung to a fourth place finish with 2426.Meanwhile, Singapore men were less impressive when they started with a poor game of 775 but recovered slightly with 830 in the second. Despite finishing strongly with 863 in their final game, Benjamin Lim, Lionel Lim, Basil Low and Mark Wong could only finish 11th with 2468.

Malaysia's Kang Bo Long, Rodson Tong, Kelvin Keong and Muhd Syafiq Ridhwan hung on to the lead on 2763 with a final game of 860 after two superb opening games of 960 and 943. Japaen took second spot with 2718.

Indonesia did well to take up third spot with 2715, just 3 pins off the Japanese quartet while favourite, Korea posted 2656 to end up in fourth place. A further 6 pins away was Kuwait in fifth spot.

 

The men will resume their second block of 3 games over short oil pattern on Friday morning while the women will take to the lanes in the afternoon. The top 4 teams will advance into the semifinals knockout rounds on Saturday.

Detailed scores: Women's Team 1stBlk | Men's Team 1stBlk.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Ho Chi Minh City.