Top see denied victory
11th July, Bangkok: First block leader and top seed, Shaun Lau Jia Rong of Singapore Team A was denied victory in the Boy's Masters stepladder title match of the 13th Asian Schools Tenpin Bowling Championship after narrowly losing to Kuwait's Abdulla Ahmed, 417-421 to win the silver medal. Shaun Lau, who had a slender 21 pin lead in the first block of eight games, was invincible in the second block winning five matches and cruising to a comfortable 197 pin cushion over his nearest rival with a 16-game total 3625 pinfalls to advance into the stepladder finals as top seed.
Abdulla Ahmed of Kuwait A, who had won two bronze medals in the Singles and Doubles, defeated No, 2 seed and Team Gold medalist, Muhammad Aizudeen Mustaqim of Malaysia A, 224-172 to face Shaun Lau.
Shaun Lau had an unlucky break in the first game of a two-game total pinfalls final with an open frame in the fifth and despite recovering with a double strike in the seven and eighth frames, the Singaporean was unable to double up again to go down, 192-202 in the first match.
But the 16-year-old Maris Stella High School student gave it all when he rolled four strikes in-a-row from frame eight and a 7 pin in his last throw to end with 225 forcing the Kuwaiti having to find at least three strikes from frame nine onwards to take victory.
Abdulla kept his composure to deliver the goods needed to end with 219 and a two game total of 421 to deny Shaun the gold medal on a two-game total of 417.
"I could have won the first match if not for my mistake in the fifth frame and I had all pocket shots thereafter but just didn't get the lucky break," said the slightly disappointed 16-year-old Shaun.
"Although I could not beat the Kuwaiti, I did give my best shot but I guess I had to settle for the silver medal. I'm happy with my overall performance winning a gold in the doubles with Jevarn and helping Singapore become the overall boys champion team."
Doubles gold medalist, Jevarn Li Jun had a good run midway through the second block but faded off towards the end to finish seventh while Singles gold medalist, Howard Saw Hui Zhe and Muhammad Jaris Goh ended in 14th and 15th positions respectively.
In the girl's division, top seed Song Yeon-Soo defeated team-mate and Singles gold medalist, Kim Jin-Sun, 421-383 in an all-Korea finals to win her first medal of the championship.
Song had won all the 16 matches contested over two blocks of eight games each to advance into the stepladder finals as top seed. Kim had earlier eliminated third seed and Singles gold medalist, Marie Alexis Sy of Philippines A, 205-171 in the first match.
Winning the gold and silver in the Masters gave Korea A the overall champion title with 2 gold and 1 silver medal. Although Singapore A had also won 2 gold and 1 silver medal, they had to settle for second as they did not field a complete team of a minimum of 4 boys and 4 girls.
Singapore A did emerge as overall boys champion after they won gold in the Singles and Doubles and a silver in the Masters. Korea A also emerged as overall girls champion with gold in the Singles and Masters and a silver in Masters as well.
93 boys and 64 girls from and total of 16 countries took part in this edition of the Asian Schools Tenpin Bowling Championship at the Blu-O Esplanade Bowling Center.
Detailed scores: Boy's Stepladder Finals | Boy's Masters Block 2 | Photo Album.
Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.