First gold medal for Singapore
1st July, Anyang, Korea: Second-seed, Daphne Tan defied all odds to bag the first gold medal for Singapore at the 4th Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games defeating China’s Chen Dongdong, 182-167 at the Anyang Hogye Gymnasium Bowling Center on Monday.
Challenger and fourth-seed, Chen had an split in her opening frame while Tan spared her first and followed it up with a strike and another spare in the second and third frame to take a 10 pin lead.
But on her fourth frame, Tah left four pins standing which she failed to spare taking ony 2 pins. Just as the Chinese spinner thought she could draw level, she too came across a split allowing Tan to maintain her slim margin ahead.
When Chen had another split in the sixth frame, the match and title was more or less in the hands of the Singaporean. Although Chen recovered with a double strike in the seventh and eighth frames, it was a little too late.
Tan went on to mark all her remaining frames to take victory and claimed her first gold medal at the games.
“I got a lucky break against Sharon (Limansantoso) of Indonesia when I though I had lost the quarter-final match,” said the 22-year-old Tan, who competed at the last Indoor Games in Ho Chih Minh City in 2009 and came home empty handed.
“She failed to spare her last frame which gave me the victory. And although I had an opened frame in the fourth against Chen in the final, I thought it was going to be another tough match.
“But when she had a spit in the same frame, I felt a bit relieved and I qucikly gathered my composure to make sure I don’t make any more mistake. I’m extremely glad to win my first individual gold medal.
The champion defeated third-seed, Son Yeon Hee of Korea, 255-223 in the second semi-final match to advance into the final while Chen dispatched top seed and the second Korean finalist, Hwang Yeon Ju, 224-193 to face Tan.
Hwang sailed past eight-seed, Krizziah Tabora of the Philippines, 232-194 in the opening quarter-finals round while Son had an easy victory over sixth-seed, Misaki Mukotani of Japan, 245-200 in her quarter-final encounter.
In the earlier 6-games preliminaries, Hwang topped the Women’s Singles with 1354 followed by Tan in second with 1336. Son finished third with 1296 and Chen fourth with 1294.
The third and fourth Korean, Lee Na Young and Jung Da Wun, who finished fifth and sixth had to give away their quarter-final spots due to the rule of a maximum of 2 players from each NOC can qualify for the knockout rounds.
Zhang Yuhong of China and Misaki Mukotani took fifth and sixth places while Sharon Limansantoso of Indonesia and Krizziah Tabora of the Philippines were elevated into seventh and eighth positions.
Singapore’s New Hui Fen ended her Singles to tie in 12th position with Haruka Matsuda of Japan on 1218. Bernice Lim finished 19th with 1186 and Geraldine Ng was placed 30th with 1157.
Competition will resume with the Men’s Doubles over short oil pattern, divided into two squads tomorrow. The women will contest their Doubles on July 3. Again the top 8 pairs will advance to the knockout rounds.
Detailed scores: Women’s Singles Final | Women’s Singles Semi-Finals | Women’s Singles Quarter-Finals | Women’s Singles Combined | Photo Album.
Photos by Terence Yaw in Anyang, Korea.