No more medals for Singapore

6th November, Ho Chi Minh City: Singapore's hope to better the bronze medal won on opening day of the 3rd Asian Indoor Games ended on Friday as both the men and the women failed to make further progress in the teams event. Trailing fourth-place Korea by 188 pins after the first block on Thursday, Benjamin Lim, Lionel Lim, Basil Low and Mark Wong fired 885 in their fourth and opening game of the second block as Malaysia continued to lead the field with 900.

The Singapore quartet followed it up with two more decent 875 and 863 in their final two games, their total of 5091 moved them up from 11th to a respectable seventh but not good enough for the strong field assembled here.

In the end, SIngapore finished 104 pins off fourth-placed UAE, who stormed home to clinch the last semifinal knockout spot. Korea posted a record-breaking 983 and followed it up with 930 and 836 to advance as topseed with 5405. Kuwait put in a scintilating run to snatch second spot with 5219 while overnight leader, Malaysia settled for third with 5203. Indonesia, who was third in the first block, crashed out with a poor 722 in their final game to miss the cut in fifth with 5143. Meanwhile in the women's division, Gina Lim, Fok Ka Wai, Daphne Tan and Shyana Ng made no headway and firing sub-800 games in the second block to remained in eighth position with 4485 as the mighty Korean women cruised home with 5185.

Malaysia made up one spot from third to second with 4814, 371 pins off the Koreans while Japan dropped one rung to third with 4783. The last semifinal spot went to Hong Kong, who remained fourth with 4743.

Chinese Taipei and Indonesia, who had a chance to take fourth spot, failed to improved in their final game to finish fifth and sixth positions respectively. Singapore comes home with a bronze medal won by Shayna Ng in the Women's Singles. Korea looked set to win the overall title after having won 2 gold and 2 silver medals. The Korean men have yet to pick up their first gold medal as both their gold medals have come from the women.

Detailed scores: Men's Team 2ndBlk | Women's Team 2ndBlk. Photos by Terence Yaw in Ho Chi Minh City.