KUCHING: The Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championship 2019 ended with Singapore dominating the tournament with 6 gold medals in the overall standings while Malaysia held on to remain second in the overall tally.
Earlier in the day, all was not well for Malaysia as South Korea led the girls table and went into the stepladder round as the No. 1 ranking and favourites to win the gold.
Malaysia’s Gillian Lim (pic) who made her cut to the final had to overcome singles gold medallist Charlene Lim of Singapore to set up a final battle with Korea’s Shin Hyebin which Gillian won by felling 384 pins to the Korean’s 348.
Despite leading 247 pinfalls on the first block yesterday, Malaysia’s who represented by Nur Syazwani Sahar, Nurul Ayunni Junaidi, Nurul Alyssa Junaidi, and Gillian Lim was unable to curb the Singapore’s forces who shows a splendid performances to bagged gold medal with a total of 4,664 pinfalls.
Silver medal won by South Korea’s with a total of 4,628 pinfalls while the national youth girl’s team have to satisfied with broze medal with 4,617 pinfalls.
–fotoBERNAMA (2019) COPYRIGHTS RESERVED
Hyebin led the girls Masters and went into the stepladder as the No. 1, having only to defend her spot against the winner of the showdown between the two Lims from Singapore and Malaysia respectively.
Had Korea won the gold, it would have catapulted them into second place in the tournament’s overall standings and relegated host Malaysia to third place.
“The fightback from Gillian was a stuff of magic and we are very proud of her and relieved to retain the second spot in the tournament. We are also happy because we met the two gold target we set out in this tournament,” said Malaysia’s Chef de Mission Robert Lu.
Lu also congratulated Singapore on their stellar performance this year and commended the Singapore’s girls team for their mesmerising display in the tournament, particularly in the team of four events where they worked extremely hard to beat the challengers off and win the event.
Malaysia also staged a fightback in the boys category where Malaysia’s Mohammad Hafiz was locked in battle with South Korea’s Moon Hayeong after both of them made the cut to the stepladder stage from the Masters event.
Hafiz easily dispatched Hayeong and went on to challenge Singapore’s Xavier Teo for the gold but couldn’t stave off Teo, losing to the Singaporean with 427 pinfalls, a mere 5 pins shy of Teo’s 432 pinfalls.
Singapore claimed the overall title this year with 6 gold 2 silver and 1 bronze while Malaysia took second spot with 2 golds 4 silver and 2 bronze. The Filipinos were third with 1 gold 1 silver and 1 bronze.
The championship which ended yesterday saw 10 countries in the Asian Bowling Federation participating with Australia and hosts Malaysia as the initial favourites to create waves in the tournament.
However, the two countries saw contrasting fortunes with Malaysia falling short of the overall title and Australia, the former powerhouse of bowling coming in sixth with just one silver medal in the boys singles to show for in the tournament.
