Bowler Jazreel beats compatriot to take masters gold
National bowler Jazreel Tan won the women's Masters event on Sunday at Orchid Country Club.
In the step-ladder final, the 25-year-old, who made her SEA Games debut in Manila 2005, produced a whopping 15 strikes in two games to beat compatriot Daphne Tan 516-353 (258-169, 258-184) to win her first individual Games gold medal.
Daphne had earlier beaten Shayna Ng 223-162 to earn the right to play Jazreel in the final.
Following the singles, doubles, trios and team events, the top 16 bowlers from the men's and women's categories qualify for the Masters event.
Then, the bowlers with the top three scores after another 16 games progress to the step-ladders final, with the second and third-placed keglers playing one game against each other.
The winner of that game takes on the top-ranked bowler for the gold medal.
Such was Singapore's dominance in the women's event, five of their six bowlers filled the top five of the women's masters event, with Cherie Tan placed fourth and New Hui Fen in fifth.
Sixth-placed Tannya Roumimper from Indonesia picked up the diplomatic bronze as the SEA Games rules prevent any country from sweeping all three medals at a single event.
Meanwhile, no Singapore male bowlers made it to the step-ladder final. Keith Saw and Javier Tan finished in 13th and 15th positions respectively.
Thailand's Yannaphon Larpapharat rode his luck en route to the men's Masters gold, defeating Malaysia's Adrian Ang 246-245 in a nail-biting encounter to earn a final showdown against another Malaysian Rafiq Ismail.
In the gold-medal match, the 31-year-old Asian Games gold medallist comfortably beat Rafiq, the men's singles champion, 414-381 (197-178, 217-203).
Overall, Singapore's bowlers ended their campaign with four golds, five silvers and one bronze - their best showing since 1995.
Read the full report in our print edition on June 15.
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