Double joy as S'pore bowlers win singles golds

After an adjustment period following her promotion from the national development squad to the national training squad in 2025, Singapore bowler Hazel Tan made a major breakthrough on Aug 22 by winning the girls' singles gold at the Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championships.

- Kimberly Kwek

Despite a modest start with just 178 pinfalls in the opening game at the Sunway Mega Lanes in Petaling Jaya, the 18-year-old rallied impressively over the next five games.

She finished with a 1,328-pinfall total to claim the title ahead of South Korea's Paek Ye-dam (1,297) and Malaysian Qurratu Ain Izdihar Mohd Pozi (1,293).

There was added significance to the teenager's victory, which was Singapore's first in the girls' singles event since former world champion Adelene Wee won it in 1985.

"I did not have high expectations heading into this competition, but I knew I definitely wanted to bring home a medal for Singapore," said Tan, a Republic Polytechnic student under a programme with the Singapore Sports School.

"It is truly an honour to bring home a gold medal for girls' singles after such a long period."

It is not Tan's first taste of success on the international stage.

In 2024, she was the girls' open champion at the Milo Storm Under-22 International Junior All Stars Bowling Championships.