Singapore bowlers enjoy 4-gold harvest at Asian Youth Championships
SINGAPORE — Singapore's national youth bowlers enjoyed a bumper gold harvest at the Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championships in Kuching, snaring all four golds at stake on Tuesday (23 April) – both team-of-four competitions as well as the boys' and girls' all-events.
The Singapore boys' team – Brandon Ong, Eugene Yeo, Xavier Teo and Jomond Chia – came out tops with a total of 5,123 pinfalls, beating nine other teams including runners-up Philippines (4,996 pinfalls) and third-placed South Korea (4,979 pinfalls).
It was a superb late charge by the Republic, who were lying in third place after the first block of three games behind South Korea and Malaysia. Jomond and Xavier, in particular, stepped up when it mattered, dramatically improving their pinfall averages to steer Singapore to victory.
But it was Brandon, winner of the boys' doubles gold with Jomond on Sunday, who was the most consistent throughout the competition. The 18-year-old thus snared the boys' all-events title with his combined performances in the singles, doubles and team events, his 227.94 pinfall average beating out Malaysia's Muhammad Hafiz (218.50) and Philippines' Merwin Tan (214.44).
"We got one another’s back in the darkest times, and thankfully we emerged as champions," he said after the team victory.
It was a much tighter affair in the girls' team-of-four event. Lying in second place after the first block, the Singapore girls – Charmaine Chang, Amabel Chua, Jermaine Seah and Charlene Lim – managed to overtake Malaysia and emerge champions with a total of 4,664 pinfalls, just 36 pinfalls ahead of South Korea and 57 ahead of Malaysia.
And Amabel, 19, emerged as the girls' all-events winner, with a pinfall average of 202.89, edging out Malaysia's Gillian Lim (200.50) and compatriot Jermaine Seah (199.67).
Singapore Bowling Federation president Jessie Phua hailed the youth bowlers' performances in Kuching, their five-gold, two-bronze effort already making it the Republic's best-ever showing at the championships, with the Masters events still to come. Seven of the bowlers have made the cut for the Masters competitions: Brandon, Xavier, Jomond and the four girls' bowlers.
Phua said, "We're extremely happy and proud of this team of emerging bowlers. It was a very close race for both teams, but they kept their cool and stayed focused on the process."
Related story:
Brandon Ong, Jomond Chia clinch boys' doubles gold at Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championships
