19th MILO Storm U22 International Junior All-Stars 2018
Korean captures "the Masters" crown
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8th December, Petaling Jaya: Second-seed and 2017 World Games champion, Cho Yeon Son of Korea beat topseed, Ahmad Adil of Malaysia twice to capture "the Masters" ttitle at the concluding 19th MILO Storm U22 International All-Stars 2018 on Sunday.

Two opened frames and a split cost Adil the first match when the Korean posted a clean game to win the tie, 203-193 and forced a second deciding match. Like the first match, the 24-year-old Malaysian did not have a good start having opened frames in the second and fourth.

Cho struck twice in the third and fourth frames followed by a spare in the fifth. Although Adil recovered slightly with a double of his own in the fifth and sixth frames, the 34-year-old Korean delighted the crowd by striking up to the final frame for a 257-187 convincing victory.

The champion, who pocketed the top prize of RM40,000 (approx. US$9,750), had earlier dispatched two Malaysians, third-seed and 2018 World Men Championships Singles gold medallist, Rafiq Ismail of Malaysia and winner of the first stepladder match, Timmy Tan, 248-224-213 to advance to the title match.


Cho Yeon Son with the Masters trophies and mock cheque

Fourth-seed, Tan outclassed fifth-seed, Lee Wan Hee of Korea and ex-Hong Kong national, Wicky Yeung, 278-204-214 in the first match to advance to the second stepladder match. Adil settled for RM20,000 and Ismail RM15,000 as first and second runners-up.

Tan, Yeung and Lee took home RM10,000, RM8,000 and RM7,000 respectively for finishing fourth to sixth positions. Mr Kevin Tan Gar Peng, COO of Sunway IFM Sdn Bhd presented the prizes and trophies to all the winners.

In the earlier 10-game Masters, Ahmad Adil topped the field with a total of 2410 pinfalls, 38 pins ahead of pace-setter and champion, Cho in second with 2372. Ismail finished third with 2345 followed by Tan in fourth with 2341.

Lee and Yeung made the stepladder finals in fifth and sixth positions with 2321 and 2303 respectively. Singapore's Cheah Ray Han missed the cut by just a single pin to end in seventh position.

Ex-Malaysian national turned two-hander, Zulmazran Zulkifli got off to a perfect start rolling the first 300 in the finals but failed to make the cut finishing in tenth. Fourth runner-up, Yeung also rolled a 300 in the fourth game.


Top 3 winners, Ahmad Adil, Cho Yeon Son and Rafiq Ismail

Top qualifier, Shota Kawazoe of JPBA, Japan managed 20th position while last year's second runner-up and PBA Hall of Famer, Parker Bohn III of USA took 25th position. Last year's first runner-up, Jeong Tae Hwa of KPBA, Korea also ended in a disappointing 34th position.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.


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