YOUNG BOWLERS ON A ROLL

Singaporeans battle 300+ teams to finish with a 1-3-1 haul in Japan pro tourney

- Deepanraj Ganesan

A young team of Singapore bowlers channeled their initial disappointment at missing out on a long-anticipated event into success with one title, three runner-up finishes and a third placing at the Nov 1-4 Japan Open Bowling Championships in Inazawa.

They had originally been preparing for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games from Nov 21-30 in Thailand, before the Olympic Council of Asia announced in August that the quadrennial event had been cancelled.

The four-day event in Japan - in which Singapore were competing for the first time - was held at the Inazawa Grand Bowl, the largest bowling alley in the world - and saw 216 men's teams and 108 women's teams compete.

The Republic's quartet of Lim Shi En, Arianne Tay, Ning Tay and Charmaine Chang won the women's team event to take home 200,000 yen (S$1,730) worth of merchandise vouchers.

Compatriots Cheah Ray Han, Xavier Teo, Aiman Lim and Peter Khor bagged 120,000 yen worth of vouchers for finishing as men's runners-up.

Arianne also finished second in the women's all events - losing to Japan's Haru Suzuki (1,900) by just one pinfall - after partnering Chang to third place in the women's doubles, while Cheah was second in the men's singles, with Shi En fourth in the women's singles.