26th January, Bangkok: Top seeds, Ryan Lalisang of Indonesia and New Hui Fen of Singapore had to come from behind in the second match to win the Men's and Women's Masters gold medals at the concluding 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships.

And it took the 2006 Doha Asian Games singles gold medalist six years before winning a gold medal in an official championship.

Lalisang was forced to go into the second deciding title match after he was narrowly beaten, 231-241 in the first match by third-seed and challenger, Mostafa Al Mousawi of Kuwait.

But the Indonesian bounced back brilliantly when it mattered most, rolling eight strikes-in-a-row and opened up a 60-pin gap over his opponent. And when the 16-year-old Kuwaiti had a big split in the seventh frame, Lalisang was well on his way to claim victory.

The top seed ended the match with 268 and Mostafa finished with a turkey to settle for the silver medal with 215.

Mostafa had earlier eliminated Trios and Team gold medalist, Hong Hae Sol of Korea, 209-183 in the semi-finals to earn his right to challenge the top seed in the final.

In the earlier second block Masters finals, the 34-year-old champion ended the block with 3901 averaging 236.31 and winning five of the eight matches contested to advance to the stepladder finals as top seed.

Hong finished 145 pins behind Lalisang with 3756 while Mostafa advanced as third seed with 3714. Choi Bok Eum of Korea, who was second in the first block, missed the cut by 98 pins to finish fourth.

In the women's division, top seed New Hui Fen was also forced to go into the second deciding title match after she lost to challenger and second seed, Son Yun Hee 208-240 in the first match.

In the second match, Son could not repeat the form she showed earlier and stumbled to a split in the fourth frame. The Singaporean fought back gallantly by striking out from frame 4 to end with a big game of 270 for her second gold medal.

Son was unable to respond and had to settle for the silver after finishing with 193. The 31-year-old 2013 World Championships Masters gold medalist had ousted Doubles gold medalist, Sin Li Jane of Malaysia, 225-162 in the semi-finals to reach the finals.

Although Singapore added a second gold with victory in the Masters to their medal tally, Korea claimed the women overall champion title with 2 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals.

Singapore finished second with 2 gold and 1 silver medal. Japan won 1 gold and 2 silver medals while Malaysia was fourth with 1 gold and 4 bronze medals.

Korea had a medal haul of 4-1-3 to claim the men overall champion title well before the outcome of the Masters event. Japan and Indonesia tied second spot with 1 gold each. Korea also emerged as overall champion with a total haul of 6-4-5. Japan was second with 2 gold and 2 silver medals. Singapore had 1 silver less than Japan to finish third in the overall medal tally.

A total of 125 men and 76 women from 21 countries took part in the 10-day championships held at Blu-O Rythm & Bowl Ratchyoithin. Eight perfect games were bowled and a total of 10 new records were set. The next Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships will be hosted by Kuwait in 2016.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

26th January, Bangkok: First block leader, New Hui Fen of Singapore retained top spot after the end of the second block of the Women's Masters finals to advance as top seed for the stepladder finals of the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships.

Armed with a margin of 251 pins from the first block, Hui Fen had a perfect start winning the ninth and second block opening match with 289 to take her margin to 338 pins.

Alisha Nabila of Indonesia moved into second as Lee Young Seung of Korea, who was second in the first block, slipped down after losing her first match.

Although the Singaporean only managed to win five matches today, she continued to build up a hefty margin including winning match 14 with 290 for a score of 1889 and a total of 4038.

Hui Fen's 16-game total smashed the 3751 record set by Choi Jin-A of Korea in 2008. Fifth perfect gamer and Team gold medalist, Son Yun Hee won all her eight matches played today to advance as second seed with 3730, 308 pins behind the top seed.

Doubles gold medalist, Sin Li Jane of Malaysia leapfrog from seventh overnight to advance as third seed with 3730.

Jeon Eun Hee of Korea missed the cut by 45 pins finishing fourth with 3630. The Indonesian took fifth spot with 3584. Lee Young Seung of Korea, who was second in the first block, felled to ninth position winning only one match today.

Son will square off with Li Jane in the one-game first match at 4.30pm local time for the right to challenge Hui Fen in the title match beat-twice format for the sixth gold medal.

The men will conclude their second block later today and the top 3 finishers will advance to the stepladder finals.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

25th January, Bangkok: Trios and Team silver medalist, New Hui Fen of Singapore completed the Women's Masters first block and built up a huge gap of 251 pins over her nearest opponent at the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships.

Hui Fen started a cracking pace by beating team-mate, Jasmine Yeong-Nathan, 279-223 in the opening match to lead Team gold medalist, Lee Young Seung of Korea by 22 pins. Despite winning her second match, Lee also won her second match but with a higher score of 258 to take over the running.

The Korean also won her next two matches in style with 260 and 247 to lead the Singaporean by 43 pins but then lost her fifth match with a poor game of 164 while Hui Fen won her fourth match to regain the lead.

The Singaporean was unstoppable when she set the lanes at Blu-O Rythm & Bowl Ratchayothin ablazed winning her remaining four matches with 258, 279, 257 and 246 to end the block with 2099.

Hui Fen won a total of 7 matches while Lee, who only managed to win one other match in the second half of the block for a total of 1848.

Indonesia's sole finalist, Alisha Nabila Larasati fought out the minor places with Kim Jin Sun of Korea trading third spot until the last two matches in which the Indonesia lass snatched third position with 1824.

Team bronze medalist, Dayang Khairunia, who was Malaysia's best finalist, clinched fourth spot with 1819 while Kim slipped down to complete the top 5 with 1799.

Team gold medalist and 2013 World Champion, Son Yun Hee of Korea rolled the sixth 300 in game 6 but only managed to win three matches for sixth position with 1791.

All Events gold medalist, Jung Da Wun of Korea failed to ignite ending in 15th while two silver medalist, Misaki Mukotani of Japan ended in tenth.

The women will resume their second block tomorrow at 9.00 am local time and the top 3 will advance to the stepladder shootout finals. The men will contest their second block at 1.30pm.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

25th January, Bangkok: Ryan Lalisang of Indonesia surprised a strong field of 16 to lead the Men's Masters first block of the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships on Sunday at Blu-O Rythm & Bowl Ratchayothin.

Lalisang took off like a bullet winning his opening match with 268 plus a bonus of 10 pins for a win only to share the lead with fourth perfect gamer, Johnathan Chan of Malaysia.

Singles bronze medalist and one of two Kuwaiti finalists, Mostafa Al Mousawi trailed in second when he also won his first match with a superb 266 followed closely by two lefties, Naif Oqab of UAE and Mohd Rafiq Ismail.

Mostafa took over the lead after winning his second match with 199 as the Indonesian lost his with 198. The 18-year-old took the third match with 237 to continue to lead Lalisang by 11 pins.

Lalisang regained the lead after he won the fourth match with a sizzling 269, 22 pins ahead of the Kuwaiti and then registered another win with 279 to build up a 97 pin gap over Mostafa.

The Indonesian completed the first block with three additional wins for a total of 1973 winning seven of the 8 matches bowled.

Triple gold medalist, Choi Bok Eum of Korea won five matches including a 290 in the fourth game to snatch second spot with 1894, 79 pins adrift while Mostafa lost his last two matches to settle for third with 1880.

Hong Hae Sol of Korea, who rolled the championship's fourth 300 in the seventh game to move into second, lost his eighth match with a poor 174 to slip to fourth with 1851.

Two lefties, Naif Oqab of UAE and All Events silver medalist, Mohd Rafiq Ismail of Malaysia finished fifth and sixth positions with 1810 and 1785 respectively.

Yeri Ramadona of Indonesia shot the fourth 300 in game 4 but finished 9th. The men will resume with their second block tomorrow and the top 3 will advance to the stepladder shootout finals. The women will contest their first block at 1.30pm.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

9th January, Bangkok: Korean men won their third gold medal at the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships with a comfortable victory in the Men's Team of 5 event while triple gold medalist, Park Jong Woo added the fourth from the All Events.

Leading the first block of three games by just 11 pins over host nation, Thailand yesterday, Park Jong Woo, Choi Bok Eum (alternated Kang Hee Won), Kim Jun Yung, Shin Seung Hyeon and Hong Hae Sol started brilliantly with 1101 to pull away to a 41 pin lead.

The mighty Koreans were simply too good for the field of twenty teams after they shot another sizzling 1212 in the fifth game to open up a massive 190 pin gap.

Thai quintet of Surasak Manuwong, Phumin Klanbida, Atittarat Cheng, Annop Arromsaranon and Yannaphon Larpapharat also started well with 1071 but returned 982 in the fifth to slip behind Malaysia.

Perfect gamer, Johnathan Chan, Muhd Nur Aiman, Ahmad Muaz, Mohd Rafiq Ismail and Timmy Tan of Malaysia shot 1180 to move up to second and trailed the Koreans.

Korea strolled home with another good game of 1113 for a total of 6663 to win their third gold medal. Their 3-game series in the second block erased the 3426 record set by Malaysia in 2008 by just a single pin.

They also smashed the old record of 6596 set by Malaysia in 2008 with their 6663 total. Malaysia ended the block stronger with 1102 for a team total of 6462 to earn the silver medal.

Thailand sealed the bronze medal with 6341 fending off the challenges from UAE, who missed the podium by 54 pins on a total of 6287.

Meanwhile there were more excitment in the final few frames from those who were in contention for the All Events medals. Park struck in the tenth frame of the team event to secure the gold medal with a 24-game total of 5478.

Mohd Rafiq Ismail of Malaysia, who needed to double up in the tenth frame to have any chance of overtaking Hong Hae Sol, left pin 6 and pin 10.

All Hong needed to do was to mark his final frame to deny Rafiq but left a 4-6-7-10 to hand the silver medal to the Malaysian.

Rafiq won his second silver medal with 5439 while the Korean settled for the bronze medal with 5434. His compatriot Shin Seung Hyeon missed the medal by 5 pins on 5429.

Five Koreans and three Malaysians made the cut for the Masters finals. Two Kuwaitis, two Indonesians and one each from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Japan and Thailand made up the top 16 from the All Events standings.

After four events, Korean men led the medal tally with a medal haul of 4-1-2 while the women led with 2-2-2 haul. They are well clear to emerge as overall champion with medal count of 6-3-4 so far.

The top 16 men and top 16 women will contest the round-robin matchplay finals over the first block of 8 games tomorrow and another 7 plus position-round on January 26 for the two final gold medals of the championships.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

24th January, Bangkok: Korean women finally won their first gold medal at the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships with victory in the Women's Team of 5 after the second block concluded with Singapore taking the silver and Malaysia the bronze medal.

First block leader of Daphne Tan, Benice Lim (alternating with Geraldine Ng), Jasmine Yeong-Nathan, Joey Yeo and New Hui Fen let their lead slipped away with a poor 939 in the fourth game whie Korea, who wan 17 pins behind, shot a stunning 1182 to take over the lead and opening up a huge gap of 238 pins.

Although the Singapore quintet pulled back the deficit to 170 pins with a much improved game of 1014 in the fifth, it appeared that the catching up was near impossible unlike what they did in the Trios.

Jung Da Wun, Jun Gwi Ae (alternating with Kim Jin Sun), Lee Young Seoung, Jeon Eun Hee and Son Yun Hee posted 946 in the fifth and 982 in the final game to win their first gold medal with 6439.

Malaysia made a last minute bid with a strong final game of 1067 but Singapore prevailed to earn the silver medal with 6259. Malaysia, who was third overnight, clinched the bronze medal with 6175.

Indonesia fizzled away from third to sixth with 5934 while Chinese Taipai and Japan rounded out the top 5 with 6069 and 6043 respectively.

Jung won her first individual gold medal after topping the All Events with 5328 to add a second gold to the Korean women and fourth for the country. Singles silver medalist, Misaki Mukotani of Japan won her second silver with 5299.

Doubles gold and Team bronze medalist, Sin Li Jane of Malaysia also won her second bronze medal after finishing third with 5220. Two Koreans, Jeon and New Hui Fen of Singapore had a chance to snatch a medal but stumbled in the final game of the team event to finish fourth and fifth.

The top 16 women and top 16 men in the All Events standings will qualify for the Masters finals. The men will complete their second block at 3.00pm and the medal presentations will follow thereafter.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

23rd January, Bangkok: Singapore is eyeing their second gold medal at the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships after snatching the lead in the first block of the Women's Team of 5 from arch-rival Korea in the third game.

Trios silver medalist, Jung Da Wun, Jeon Eun Hee and Son Yun Hee teamed up with Trios bronze medalist, Kim Jin Sun and Lee Young Seung, got off as usual to a strong start with 1172 to lead Chinese Taipei by a massive gap of 105 pins.

The Korean quintet added another superb game of 1091 but found themselves being hunt down by Singapore after their arch-rival shot the highest one game of 1192 to trail Korea by 7 pins.

Trios gold medalist, Geraldine Ng, Joey Yeo and New Hui Fen with Daphne Tan and Jasmine Yeong-Nathan ended the block much stronger with 1088 to snatch the lead with 3344 as Korea managed only 1066 to settle for second on 3329.

Singapore also erased the 3-game series of 3236 set by the Koreans in 2008. Chinese Taipei, who was second in the the first game slipped behind Indonesia for fourth with 3133.

Tannya Roumimper, Novie Phang, Sharon Limansantoso, Nadia Pramanik and Alisha Nabila Larasati returned three consistent games of 1052, 1077 and 1058 to claim third spot with 3187.

One of the favourite teams in contention for a medal, Malaysia failed to sparkle and only manage to complete the top 5 with 3122.

Meanwhile, Singles silver medalist, Misaki Mukotani of Japan took over the lead of the All Events standings with 4665 with 3 games left to play in the Team of 5 second block.

Jung Da Wun improved to take up second spot with 4653 while Doubles gold medalist, Sin Li Jane threw away a comfortable lead after 18 games to slip down to third with 4619.

Current cut in 16th position went to Dayang Khairuniza of Malaysia with 4379 or an average of 208.52. The top 16 after the end Team of 5 event will qualify for the Masters finals.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

23rd January, Bangkok: Korea snatched a slender lead of just 11 pins in the Men's Team of 5 first block of three games at the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships ahead of host Thailand and Malaysia in second and third.

Japan set the lanes ablaze at Blu-O Rythm & Bowl Ratchayothin with a stunning 1117 in their opening game to lead Korea's Park Jong Woo, Shin Seung Hyeon, Kim Jun Yung, Kang Hee Won and Hong Hae Sol by 46 pins.

Tomoyuki Sasaki, Takuya Miyazawa, Kenta Yoshida, Yuhi Shinbata and Singles gold medalist, Yusuke Yamamoto continued to set the pace with another superb game of 1084 in the second game but found their lead reduced to just 17 pins by the Koreans.

The Japanese struggled big time in their third game managing only 955 as Korea ended the block with 1052 to snatch the lead with a team total of 3236.

Spurred on by a large crowd of local supporters, Thailand's Surasak Manuwong, Phumin Klanbida, Atittarat Cheng, Annop Arromsaranon and anchored by 2014 Incheon Asian Games Singles gold medalist, Yannaphon Larpapharat reeled in two massive games of 116 and 1121 to move into second with 3225.

Trios bronze medalist of Mohd Rafiq Ismail, Timmy Tan, Muhd Nur Aiman teamed up with perfect gamer, Johnathan Chan and Ahmad Muaz also ended strongly to finish third on 3193, 43 pins from the leader.

UAE's Hussain Al Suwaidi, Hareb Al Mansoori. Mahmood Al Attar, Shaker Al Hassan and Naif Oqab blitzed the lanes with a scorching 1191 to leapfrog from seventh to fourth position with 3176, a further 23 pins away. Japan derailed their hopes for a medal slipping to fifth spot with 3156.

Shin's 677 3-games series took the Korean into the lead of the Men's All Events standings with 4786 after 21 games played. Park remained in second with 4770 while overnight leader, Mohd Rafiq slipped to third with 4750.

Hong occupies fourth position with 4729 while Naif Oqab of UAE rounded out the top 5 with 4696. With close to 50 pins separating the top 5, the winners of the All Events is wide open with three more games to go.

The men will resume with the second block of 3 games over the medium oil pattern while the women will contest their first block today at 3.00pm. The top 16 men and top 16 women in the All Events standings will advance to the Masters finals on January 25 and 26.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

22nd January, Bangkok: Men's Squad A Trios leader of Park Jong Woo, Shin Seung Hyeon and Hong Hae Sol remained unchallenged to win Korea's second gold medal in the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships.

Overnight Squad B leader and the second Thai trio of Phumin Klanbida, Atittarat Cheng and Yannaphon Larpapharat got off to a poor footing managing a lowly 547 in their fourth game to hand the lead to the second Malaysian trio.

Muhd Nur Aiman, Timmy Tan and Mohd Rafiq Ismail of Malaysia shot 633 to take over the running, just 1 pin ahead of Hong Kong's second trio of Wicky Yeung, Lau Kwun Ho and Rickle Kam in second.

Whilst Hong Kong stumbled to a 572 score in the fifth game, Thailand recovered with 617 to move back up to second, 39 pins behind Malaysia, who rolled 643 to stay in the lead.

With such a huge gap to Squad A leader, Korea, at best Malaysia could aim for was the silver if they can post higher than 716 in their final game to beat China or higher than 670 in the final game to beat Saudi Arabia.

With the cheering of their team-mates, Muhd Nur Aiman shot 226, Tan struck-out for 247 and Mohd Rafiq posted 227 for a total of 700 to give the Malaysian the bronze medal with 3922, beating the Saudis by 30 pins.

Park, Shin and Hong bagged Korea's second gold medal with the record-breaking 4254 while China's Du Jianchao, Mi Zhongli and Yao Lin earned the silver medal with 3938, 16 pins ahead of the Malaysians.

Saudi Arabia missed the podium to finished fourth with 3892 while the second Singapore trio rounded out the top 5 with 3843. Thailand, who was second to Malaysia, was sixth and Hong Kong, who was third in this squad, ended in seventh position.

Meanwhile, Mohd Rafiq Ismail moved into the lead of the Men's All Events with an 18-game total of 4159. Park Jong Woo remained in second with 4138 while overnight leader Hong Hae Sol, who managed only 1325 in the Trios, slipped to third with 4129.

Korean men has won 2 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze while their women, who have yet to pick up a gold medal, contributed 2 silver and 2 bronze medals to give them the overall lead in the Medal Tally./p>

Japan with 2 gold and 1 silver medal all from the Singles event is second. Malaysia and Singapore were the two other countries having won a gold medal each, in the Women's Doubles and Women's Trios earlier./p>

Competition will shift to the first block of 3 games in the 5-player Team event tomorrow on medium oil condition. They will resume with the second block of 3 games on long oil on January 24./p>

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

22nd January, Bangkok: First Korean trio of Shin Seung Hyeon, Hong Hae Sol and Park Jong Woo extended their margin for a commanding lead over their nearest rival in the Men's Trios first squad at the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships.

Armed with a lead of 192 pins from the first block yesterday, the Koreans got off to a 637 in the fourth game to increase their lead to 221 pins while China and Saudi Arabia maintained their gap to each other in second and third.

The leader stamped their mark with a stunning 728 in the fifth game matched by China with a similar 728 with no change in the gap.

The Saudi trio also posted a big game of 707 in the fifth but trailed the Chinese by 27 pins while UAE's Hussain Al Suwaidi, Hareb Al Mansoori and Mahmood Al Attar was fourth, a further 31 pins away.

It was a stroll in the park for the Koreans as they blitzed the lanes with another sizzling 747 in the final game to end the block with 4254, smashing the record of 4147 set by Philippines in 2008.

Their second block 3-games series of 2122 also erased the record of 1997 set by Malaysia in 2008. China's Du Jianchao, Yao Lin and Mi Zhongli concluded the block with 652 for a total of 3938 to finish second, 316 pins adrift.

Mohammed Al Saud, Adel Al Barqi and Bader Al Shaikh of Saudi Arabia hung on to third position with 3892 but may miss out on a medal. Singapore's first trio returned three consistent scores of 668, 660 and 659 to take up fourth with 3809.

Korea, with a total of 4254 and an average of 236.33, looked unbeatable. Squad B leader, Thailand is in the hunt for a medal after the trio averaged 224.33 and is second overall based on average.

China is third with an average of 218.78 and realistically, only three trios - Malaysia 2 (average 216.22), Hong Kong 2 (average 215.33) and Kuwait 2 (average 213.22) has any chance of picking up either the silver or bronze medals.

The second squad will take to the lanes at 5.00pm local time and the combined scores will determine the medal winners.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

22nd January, Bangkok: Geraldine Ng, Joey Yeo and New Hui Fen survived an onslaught from the Koreans in the second block of the Women's Trios to clinch Singapore first gold medal at the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships.

The overnight leader continued where they left off in the first block yesterday with an identical opening score of 677 in the fourth game to stretch their lead from 27 to 71 pins after Jung Da Wun, Jeong Eun Hee and Son Yun Hee managed only 633.

But a 635 in the fifth game from the Singaporeans saw their margin reduced to just 24 pins when their nearest rival added 682 in their fifth game.

Indonesia's second trio, who was third overnight, started poorly with 557 and failed to recover with 589 in the fifth to slip behind the second Korean trio.

Doubles gold medalist of Syaidatul Afifah and Sin Li Jane together with Hee Kar Yen of Malaysia moved up to third after the fifth game putting themselves in contention for a medal.

Kim Jin Sun, Lee Young Seung and Jun Gwi Ae moved into fourth spot after two superb games of 622 and 662. With the two Korean trios and a Malaysian trio right on their heels, pressure on the leader was beginning to mount.

Drawn just next to each other in the sixth and final game, the Koreans started a strike-fest and was rapidly closing the gap. Midway through the match, the first Korean trio had already overtaken Singapore.

The trio ended the block with 707 forcing Singapore to roll 683 or better to remain in the lead and take victory. It all came down to the last frame which needed all the three Singapore players to strike-out.

Under tremendous pressure, the trio displayed sheer determination to strike home to the delight of their team-mates and coaches to clinch the Singapore's first gold medal with a last game of 687 and a total of 3899.

Korea was disappointed to take home the silver medal with 3895, just 4 pins adrift while the second Korean trio earned the bronze medal with 3776. Indonesia recovered in their last game with 690 but missed the podium with 3674, 102 pins away.

Meanwhile, Doubles gold and Singles bronze medalist, Sin Li Jane remained in the lead of the Women's All Events with 4074, 56 pins ahead of Trios silver medalist, Jung Da Wun in second with 4018. Singles silver medalist, Misaki Mukotani of Japan slipped to third with 3951.

The men will contest their Trios second block at 1.00pm and 5.00pm. Competition will shift to the 5-Player Team event over two blocks of 3 games on January 23 and 24.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

21st January, Bangkok: The second Singapore trio of Joey Yeo, Geraldine Ng and New Hui Fen snatched the lead of the Women's Trios first block at the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships with 1900.

Singapore trio got off to a dream start when the second trio rolled 677 in their opening game to lead the first Singapore trio of Daphne Tan, Jasmine Yeong-Nathan and Bernice Lim by 43 pins in second.

But Yeo, Ng and New stumbled to a lowly 591 to slip behind the first Korean trio of Jung Da Wun, Jeon Eun Hee and Son Yun Hee albeit just 5 pins away. Tan, Yeong-Nathan and Lim also suffered a low game of 586 to slip away into sixth position.

The Korean ended the block with a respectable 600 but had to settle for second with 1873 when Singapore 2 stormed home with 632 to regain the lead with 1900.

Singapore has drawn a blank after two events over the first four days of the championships. The trio is in a good position to strike a medal with the second block tomorrow morning.

The second Indonesian trio of Tannya Roumimper, Nadia Pramanik and Alisha Nabila bowled consistently with 617, 605 and 641 to clinch third spot with 1863, 37 pins from the leader and just 10 pins from the Koreans.

Japan's first trio of Futaba Imai, Shinobu Saito and Haruna Nojima is still in the running for a medal after they ended the block with 1860 in fourth.

Doubles gold medalist and overnight leader, Sin Li Jane of Malaysia remained in the lead of the Women's All Events with 3480 despite posting only 614 in the Trios first block.

Singles silver medalist, Misaki Mukotani of Japan trailed the Malaysian by 141 pins in second with 3339 while Jeon Eun Hee lies in third position with 3315.

The women will resume with second block in the morning while the men will bowl their second block in the afternoon.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

21st January, Bangkok: 2014 Asian Games Singles gold medalist, Yannaphon Larpapharat anchored Thailand into second position behind Squad A leader, Korea in the Men's Trios first block at the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships.

Kuwait second trio of Singles bronze medalist, Mostafa Al Mousawi, Salem Al Hajras and Mohannad Ebrahim got off to a bistering start with an opening game of 710 to lead the second Filipino trio by 46 pins.

But disaster struck the Kuwaiti trio after they stumbled to a poor 581 in the second game as Thailand shot a stunning 725 to take over the running. Malaysia's second trio of Muhd Nur Aiman, Timmy Tan and Mohd Rafiq Ismail trailed in second by 41 pins.

The Thais had amassed a two-game total of 1370 and would need a massive 772 or more to overhaul the leader of Squad A. Yannaphon ended the block with 290 to help the team with 649 to finish atop this squad with 2019.

The trio finished 73 pins behind the first Korean trio, who totaled 2142. Malaysia finished second to Thailand with 1946 and 4 pins short of the first Saudi trio, who claimed third position overall with 1950.

The second Hong Kong trio of Wicky Yeung, Lau Kwun Ho and Rickle Kam took third position in the second squad with 1938 but ended in sixth behind the first Chinese trio completing the top 5 overall.

Mohd Rafiq moved into the lead of the Men's All Events after the first block of the Trios event with 3515, averaging 234.33. Doubles gold medalist, Park Jong Woo and Doubles silver medalist, Hong Hae Sol sits in second and third with 3458 and 3453.

The men will resume with their second block of 3 games on January 22. The Women will contest their first block at 5.00pm local time.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

21st January, Bangkok: Doubles gold medalist, Park Jong Woo led Shin Seung Hyeon and Hong Hae Sol to give Korea a comfortable lead in the Men's Trios first block of 3 games at the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships.

Hussain Al Suwaidi, Hareb Al Mansoori and Mahmood Al Attar of UAE set the opening pace with 669 in the first game to lead the first Korean trio by 15 pins.

The Koreans blitzed the Blu-O Rythm & Bowl with a stunning 783 to take over the running and building up a massive 111 pins lead despite the Emirati trio posting a decent 657 in the second game.

Kuwaiti first trio of Abdulrahman Suwayed, Ali Saleh and Ebrahim Al Jadi took third spot after a strong second game of 689 following their 600 in the opening game. Indonesia and Saudi Arabia made up the top five.

The mighty Koreans showed no mercy firing another superb 705 in the third game to end the first block with 2142. HRH Mohammed Al Saud, Adel Al Barqi and Bader Al Shaikh turned in 691 to snatch second spot with 1950, 192 pins adrift.

2014 Incheon Asian Games Singles silver medalist, Du Jianchao led Yao Lin and Mi Zhongli China to a third place finish with consistent scoreline of 600, 666 and 677 for a total of 1943.

Kuwait and Thailand's Surasak Manuwong, Panuruj Vilailak and Annop Arromsaranon rounded out the top 5 in fourth and fifth positions with 1930 and 1910 respectively.

The second squad will contest their first block at 1.30pm later today while the Women's Trios will be held at 5.00pm local time. The second block of 3 games will be staged on January 22.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

20th January, Bangkok: Squad A leader and second Malaysian pair of Syaidatul Afifah and Sin Li Jane remained unbeaten after the second squad to win the Women's Doubles Gold medal at the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships.

Indonesia's third pair of Nadia Pramanik and Alisha Nabila Larasati took the early running with 451 to lead the second Chinese Taipei pair by 27 pins and the third Macau pair in third by another 11 pins.

The third Malaysian pair of Hee Kar Yen and Dayang Khairuniza, who started off poorly with 373, bounced back with a splendid 467 to move into the lead with the third Korean pair of Jeon Eun Hee and Son Yun Hee trailing in second by 32 pins.

A respectable 429 in the third allowed the Malaysians to hold on to the lead as the Koreans moved closer and reduced the gap to just 3 pins at the halfway mark.

Despite another good game of 447 in the fourth, Korea posted a superb 489 to take over the lead and built a 39 pin gap. The third Filipino pair of Liza Clutario and Mades Arles fired a stunning 524 to take up third.

Korea remained in the lead after rolling 443 in the fifth game but with a difference of 604 to Squad A leader, the best they could do was to end with 464 to overhaul their compatriots for the silver or 409 for the bronze.

The leader finished with 414 to top the squad and clinched the bronze medal with 2583. Malaysia 2 and Korean 2 remained unbeaten to win the gold and silver medals with 2773 and 2633 respectively.

Philippines 3 and Malaysia 3 ended in second and third in this squad but finished sixth and seventh positions overall. The first Korean pair, who was third in the first squad, missed the podium finishing fourth.

Sin Li Jane moved into the lead of the All Events standings after 12 games (Singles and Doubles) with 2866. Singles silver medalist, Misaki Mukotani of Japan lies in second with 2683 and Singles gold medalist, Mirai Ishimoto third with 2675.

Competition will shift to the Trios event with the men split into two squads and the women one squad. They will bowl their first block of 3 games tomorrow and the second block on January 22.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

20th January, Bangkok: 2014 Incheon Asian Games Singles silver medalist, Sin Li Jane partnered Syaidatul Afifah to give Malaysia the lead in the first squad of the Women's Doubles event at the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships.

Korea's second pair of Jung Da Wun and debutant Lee Young Seung got off to a splendid start with 513 in their opening game to lead compatriots and the first Korean pair of two debutants, Jun Gwi Ae and Kim Jin Sun by 36 pins.

The gap was reduced to just 2 pins after the second game when Jung and Lee managed only 433 while their counterpart posted a respectable 467 followed by second Singapore pair of New Hui Fen and Bernice Lim in third.

Jung and Lee opened up to a 20 pin lead at the halfway mark when their team-mates stumbled to a poor game of 355 to slip behind the Singapore and Malaysia pairs.

Li Jane and Syaidatul blitzed the lanes with a stunning 514 in the fourth game to take over the running, 57 pins over the second Jung and Lee while Jun and Kim recovered to regain third position.

The Malaysian duo added another strong game of 468 to pull away to a 121-pin lead as the two Korean pairs could not keep pace.

The leader ended with 431 for a total of 2773, setting a new 6-game record and smashing the old record of 2699 set by their compatriots in 2008. Their second 3-games series of 1413 also erased the old record of 1401 again set by Malaysia in 2008.

Syaidatul amassed 1322 while Li Jane posted the highest 6-games series so far in the championship with 1451.

Jung and Lee settled for second position with 2633, 140 pins adrift while Jun and Kim finished third with 2578. Two Singapore pairs ended their chance of a medal in fourth and fifth positions respectively.

Squad B will take to the lanes at Blu-O Rythm & Bowl Ratchayothin for their Doubles preliminary at 1.30pm local time.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

19th January, Bangkok: 2014 Incheon Asian Games multiple gold medalists, Choi Bok Eum and Park Jong Woo smashed two Asian records en-route to winning the Men's Doubles Gold medal at the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships.

The third Malaysian pair of Muhd Nur Aiman and Johnathan Chan got off to a splendid start with 493 to lead the third Macau pair of Zoe Dias Ma and Tam Tsz Sun by 47 pins with Choi and Park in a close third.

The Malaysian duo added another good game of 462 to extend their lead to 64 pins over Indonesia's third pair of Adhiguna Widiantoro and Diwan Rezaldy Syahril and the Koreans just 2 pins away still in third.

The Koreans began to pick up their pace from the third game onwards rolling three consective high games of 508, 517 and 506 to draw well clear of their nearest rival. Indonesia continued to trail in second, 166 pins behind.

All Choi and Park needed to do in the sixth and final game was 319 or more to beat Squad B leader for the gold or 298 or more to beat Squad A leader for the silver. The pair eased off with 414 in the last game to capture Korea's first gold medal with 2834.

Their 3-game series of 1437 from 517, 506 and 414 smashed the 2008 record of 1425 set by Hong Kong in 2008. The total of 2834 also smashed the 2008 record of 2750 also set by Hong Kong in 2008.

Squad B leader of Hong Hae Sol and Kim Jun Yung settled for the silver medal with their 2739 while Squad A leader of Kang Hee Won and Shin Seung Hyeon completed the clean sweep for Korea with 2718.

Indonesia 3, who finished second in this squad with 2678 ended in sixth position overall while Malaysia 3, who was third to Choi and Park with 2662, ended in seventh position.

The second Malaysian pair of Mohd Rafiq Ismail and Timmy Tan, who was third after two squads, was pushed down to fourth and the second Indonesian pair of Ryan Lalisang and Yeri Ramadona completed the top 5.

Hong is leading the Men's All Events standings after 12 games with 2804 followed by Lalisang in second with 2803. Mohd Rafiq is third with 2752. Competition will resume with the Women's Doubles preliminaries divided into two squads tomorrow.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

19th January, Bangkok: Hong Hae Sol and Kim Jun Yung took over the lead of the Men's Doubles preliminaries at the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships after topping the second squad with 2739.

The second Malaysian pair of Mohd Rafiq Ismail and Timmy Tan set a cracking pace with 478 in their opening game to the Philippines second pair of Kevin Oliver Cu and Erico Hernandez by 39 pins.

Mohd Rafiq and Tan added another sizzling game of 473 to widen the gap to their nearest rival and Japan's Tomoyuki Sasaki and Yuhi Shinbata by 62 pins as the second pair of Korea moved up into third spot.

At the halfway mark, the Malaysians more further away with another superb 463 as 2006 Doha Asian Games Singles gold medalist, Ryan Lalisang and Yeri Ramadona joined them in second, albeit 73 pins adrift.

As Malaysia continued to set the pace with 458 in their fourth game, Indonesia was unable to get close to remain in second with Korea still in third position.

Malaysia saw their lead reduce drastically reduce to 31 after managing only 418 while Korea added a strong game of 489 in the fifth to moved into second. Malaysia could still topple Squad A leader if they end the squad with 428 or more.

The second Korean pair needed 459 or more to become the new overall lear while Indonesia had a taller order, needing 474 or more for a the lead.

Hong and Kim fired a a stunning 480 to overhaul their compatriots by 39 pins with a total of 2739. Malaysia choked on a 410 final game to slip behind both the Korean pairs with 2700.

Indonesia felled short by 37 pins on a final game of 447 to finish third in this squad with 2691 and missed the top 3 by 9 pins. The final and third squad will contest their Doubles at 6.30pm local time.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

19th January, Bangkok: 2014 World Championships Masters gold medalist, Kang Hee Won and 2014 Incheon Asian Games Team gold medalist, Shin Seung Hyeon gave Korea a good start after topping the Men's Doubles first squad of the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships.

2014 World Championships Singles silver medalist, Shaker Al Hassan and 2012 Asian Championships Doubles gold medalist, Hussain Al Suwaidi got off to a cracking start with 487 in their opening game to lead the first Kuwaiti pair by 21 pins.

The Emirati pair momentarily lost the lead to the Korean pair of Kang and Shin despite posting a respectable 422 in the second game but regained their lead with 413 in the third with Hong Kong's Wicky Yeung and Rickle Kam moving up to second.

Korea bounced back superbly with 480 in the fourth game but found themselves trailing Billy Muhammad Islam and Hardy Rachmadian after the Indonesian pair shot a stunning 508 while UAE slipped to third.

The Indonesian's lead was short-lived when they stumbled to a poor 386 game in the fifth handing Korea the lead when Kang and Shin posted another superb game of 494. The leader ended the squad with 435 for the lead with 2718 total.

UAE finished in a distant second with 2595, 123 pins adrift while Hong Kong edged Indonesia for third spot with 2572. Indonesia slipped further away into fourth position with 2551.

Host Thailand's first pair of Atittarat Cheng and Annope Arromsaranon, who started off well with 424 and 466 could not maintain their pace to complete the top 5 with 2490.

Squad B will contest their Doubles at 1.30pm local time while the third and final squad will be staged at 6.00pm.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

18th January, Bangkok: Squad A leader, Mirai Ishimoto remained unbeaten to win Japan's second gold medal at the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships after Misaki Mukotani topped Squad B to add a silver medal.

2014 Incheon Asian Games two silver medalist and 2012 Asian Championships Singles gold medalist, Sin Li Jane set the opening pace with 239 to Jung Da Wun of Korea by 3 pins and Nadia Pramanik of Indonesia in third, a further 5 pins away.

Nadia rolled another superb game in the second to move into the lead as Li Jane trailed by 12 pins in second and a second Indonesian, Alisha Nabila following in third. The pace-setter added another good game in the third to hold the lead as the Malaysian narrowed the gap to 8 pins.

Li Jane shot into the lead after the fourth game while Misaki Mukotani of Japan posted a stunning 289 to take up second position, 23 pins adrift. The Japanese fired another 289 to become the new leader as Li Jane trailed in second by 20 pins.

Li Jane shot into the lead after the fourth game while Misaki Mukotani of Japan posted a stunning 289 to take up second position, 23 pins adrift. The Japanese fired another 289 to become the new leader as Li Jane trailed in second by 20 pins.

Mukotani still needed 256 or more to topple team-mate and Squad A leader, Mirai Ishimoto and Li Jane had a taller order, needing 276 or more to snatch the gold.

Despite ending stronger with 246 in the last game, Li Jane had to settle for second in the squad with 1415 while Mukotani kept her cool to end with 228 for a total of 1417. Mukotani and Li Jane eventually missed the gold by 28 and 30 pins respectively.

Alisha Nabila of Indonesia fired 289 in her last game to finish third in the squad with 1381 to miss the podium by 34 pins. Jeon Eun Hee of Korea, who was second in Squad A, rounded out the top 5 with 1379.

Mukotani's 806 erased the 3-game series of 748 set in 1996 by Lai Kin Ngoh of Malaysia. Ishimoto's victory gave Japan its second gold medal. Yusuke Yamamoto won the first gold in the Men's Singles yesterday.

Competition will shift to the Doubles event with the men bowling tomorrow, divided into three squads. The women will contest their Singles on January 20.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

18th January, Bangkok: 2014 World Youth Masters gold medalist, Mirai Ishimoto set a high benchmark of 1445 to lead the Women's Singles opening squad of the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships and looked set to winning Japan's second gold medal.

2012 Asian Championships Team bronze medalist, Jeon Eu Hee of Korea and 2012 World Youth Singles silver medalist, Hee Kar Yen of Malaysia shared the lead with 246 in their opening game ahead of 2012 Asian Championships Team gold medalist, Chien Hsiu-Lan of Chinese Taipei in second.

2014 Incheon Asian Games Team gold medalist, Daphne Tan rolled a stunning 279 following her opening game of 222 to move into the lead while her team-mate, Joey Yeo shot 246 in the second game to give Singapore a one-two at this stage.

But Tan dropped her pace to hand over the lead to Yeo after the latter posted another strong third game of 255 as Jeon took up second spot, 7 pins adrift and Mirai Ishimoto moving into third spot.

Yeo remained in the lead despite managing just 213 while Ishimoto shot 233 to take over second spot, 6 pins adrift.

The Japanese added another superb game of 236 in the fifth to take over the running and moved 14 pins ahead of the Singaporean.

Ishimoto was on a roll when she took the squad with a sizzling 268 in her sixth and final game for a total of 1445 and averaging 240.83. The high benchmark achieved looked unbeatable and can win Japan their second gold medal after Yusuke Yamamoto won the Boy's Singles yesterday with 1401.

Jeon also ended strongly with 247 to finish second with 1379. Yeo ended with 199 for a total of 1362 to settle for third position while her compatriot Tan finished fourth with 1317. A second Malaysian, Natsha Roslan rounded out the top 5 with 1312.

The second squad of 38 women will commence their Singles at 2.30pm local time and the combined scores will determine the winners. The medal presentation for the Singles will follow thereafter.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

4th January, Bangkok: Yusuke Yamamoto of Japan clinched the Men's Singles gold medal of the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships after topping the third and final squad with 1401.

2014 Incheon Asian Games and Abu Dhabi World Championships Team gold medalist, Shin Seung Hyeon set a blistering pace with an opening game of 268 to lead Johnathan Chan of Malaysia by 16 pins with Yamamoto in a close third.

Shin continued with 244 in the second game to stretch his lead to 26 as Yamamoto took up second spot after adding 244 in to his second game. Chen Wu-Chi of Chinese Taipei was third as Chan slipped to fourth.

Despite rolling 206 in the third game, the Korean hung on to the lead albeit seeing his margin reduced to 16 pins as the 23-year-old Yamamoto continued in second and Chen still in third.

A big game from 2006 Doha Asian Games two gold medalist, Bader Al Shaikh in the fourth shot the Saudi into the lead and moving 18 pins ahead of the Korean with the Japanese slipping down to third.

Bader's lead was short-lived as Yousef Al Jabir of Qatar rolled a stunning 279 in the fifth game to take over the running but only 3 pins ahead of Yamamoto. With the sixth and final game to go, Yousef needed 234 or more to topple leader, Shabbir Dhankot of India.

Yamamoto, who was 3 pins behind Yousef would require 237 or more while Bader has to roll 252 in his last game for the gold. The Qatari stumbled to a 176, Bader managed only 192 but Yamamoto stormed home with 246 to topple the Indian and clinched the gold with 1401.

Chan, who finished second in this squad with 1336, 65 pins adrift ended in 16th position overall. Shabbir gave India it first-ever medal in the Asian Championships by winning the silver medal with 1392.

Mostafa Al Mousawi of Kuwait settled for the bronze medal with 1395 while Squad A leader, Yeri Ramadona was knocked off the podium to fourth with 1392. Michael Mak of Hong Kong rounded out the top 5 with 1386.

Competition will resume tomorrow with the Women's Singles preliminaries divided into two squads. Medal presentation for the Singles event will take place after the women complete their Singles event.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

17th January, Bangkok: 2011 Commonwealth Championship Team bronze medalist, Shabbir Dhankot of India surprised a strong field in Squad B to take a surprise lead in the Men's Singles preliminary of the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships.

2014 Asian School Championship Singles gold medalist, Mostafa Al Mousawi of Kuwait opened account with a sizzling 279 to lead Shabbir Dhankot by 21 pins with Adel Al Barqi of Saudi Arabia a further 5 pins adrift in third.

Mostafa rolled another big game of 255 to stretch his lead to 58 pins as debutant, Ghanim Aboujassaoum of Qatar took over second spot after two superb games of 228 and 248 while 2014 Incheon Asian Games Singles gold medalist, Yannaphon Larpapharat of Thailand moved into third.

The Kuwaiti youngster fired another superb game of 246 to widen his gap to 73 pins at halfway point. 2014 Incheon Asian Games Trios gold medalist, Tomoyuki Sasaki of Japan made his move to take up second.

Ghanim slipped to third as 2006 Doha Asian Games Singles gold medalist, Ryan Lalisang of Indonesia moved into fourth position. Shabbir then rolled a huge game of 278 to regain second position and narrowing the gap to Mostafa to just 28 pins after the fourth game.

Mostafa continued to lead after the fifth game with 226 and looked set to overhaul Squad A leader needing only 228 or more. The Indian was hot on his heels with 215 while 2014 Incheon Asian Games Team bronze medalist, Michael Mak stormed into third with 268 and 258 in his third and fourth games.

Mostafa made a costly mistake when his failed to spare his ninth frame by missing pin 10 while Shabbir too missed a pin 7 in the third frame. But Shabbir rolled five strikes-in-a-row to end with 232 to snatch the lead with 1396.

The Kuwaiti ended with 192 to settle for second with 1395, just 1 pin adrift. Mak had a big split in his last frame to finish with 223 and 1386 for third. Lalisang and Sasaki rounded out the top 5 in this squad with 1378 and 1370 respectively.

Both Shabbir and Mostafa overhauled Squad A leader to finish in that order in the overall standings after two squads. Squad A leader, Yeri Ramadona of Indonesia slipped to third on his 1392 total.

Mak and Lalisang missed the top 3 in fourth and fifth positions. The third and final squad will roll off at 6.30pm local time and the combined scores of all the three squads will determine the medal winners of the first event.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.

17th January, Bangkok: Two-time ABF Tour winner, Yeri Ramadona of Indonesia took the opening squad of the Men's Singles event of the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships underway at Blu-O Rythmn & Bowl Ratchayothin on Saturday.

Justin Lim of Singapore got off to a cracking start with a stunning 267 in his opening game to lead Kentaro Sako of Japan by 11 pins as Ramadona and Enrico L Hernandez of the Philippines shared third spot with 246.

The Indonesian immediately shot into the lead with 253 in the second game and moved ahead of Lim despite the Singaporean rolling a good game of 226. Annop Arromsaranon gave Thailand some hope by moving into third spot, 19 pins away.

Ramadona bowled consistently with 227, 224 and 227 in his next three games as a second Japanese, Takuya Miyazawa and Hong Kong's Rickle Kam fought out the minor placings.

The leader could have surpass the 1400-mark if not for a costly split in the eighth frame as he came home with 215 in the sixth and last game to win the squad with 1392.

2014 Incheon Asian Games Team gold medalist, Hong Hae Sol stormed home with a scintillating 277 to snatch second spot with 1365 while debutant, Ghalid Al Busaidi of Oman caused an upset by taking up third position with 1364.

Kam, who was second after the fourth and fifth games, dropped down to fourth with 1362. Miyazwa rounded out the top 5 with 1352, a further 10 pins away. Early pace-setter, Lim managed only seventh position with 1307.

Squad B will take to the lanes at 2.00pm local time for their Singles while the third and final squad will bowl their 6-games Singles at 6.00pm this evening.

15th January, Bangkok: A colourful opening ceremony held at Blu-O Rhythm & Bowl Ratchayothin marks the return of the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships to the capital city of Thailand which last hosted the championship in 2004.

The opening ceremony saw teams from 22 teams from member federations of the Asian Bowling Federation marchpast graced by His Honourable, Mrs Kobkarn Suritasat Wattanavrangkul, Minister of Tourism and Sport of Thailand.

Also present were H.E. Sheikh Talal Mohamed Al-Sabah, President of Asian Bowling Federation, Mr Kevin Dornberger, President of World Bowling and FIQ, Mr Chanyut Hengtrakool, President of Thai Tenpin Bowling Association and Ms Vivien Lau, Honorary Life President of ABF and World Bowling Secretary General.

Other dignitaries included Executive Committee members of ABF, Mr Addie Ophelders, President of the European Bowling Federation, Presidents and Vice Presidents of ABF Member federations, representatives of Embassies in Thailand, sponsors and distiguished guests.

The marching band from Attawit Commercial Technology College together with the flag bearers of the participating countries marched past followed by the teams from Bahrain, China, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kuwait, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Oman Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, United Arab Emirates and host, Thailand.

Mr Chanyut Hengtrakool, President of Thai Tenpin Bowling Association, on behlaf of the Organizing Committee, welcomed the dignitaries, distinguished guests, officials and teams and thanked the countries for participating in this championship.

H.E. Sheikh Talal Mohamed Al-Sabah, President of Asian Bowling Federation also expressed appreciation to the participating countries in his speech that followed. Mr Kevin Dornberger, President of World Bowling and FIQ thanked the hard-working committee members under the leadership of Ms Suwalai Satrulee, secretary general of TTBA in making sure of the success and smooth running of the championship.

Mrs Kobkarn Suritasat Wattanavrangkul, Minister of Tourism and Sport of Thailand, in her speech, welcomed the dignitaries,

She subsequently officially declared the championships open before the Buu Chorus sang the Thai national anthem to mark the opening. The dignitaries and guests were also entertained by the first show - a traditional dance called Fon Khan Dok aiming at worshipping the Buddha monk.

The second show was called the Tarikipas - a widespread dance popularised by the Muslim from the southern part of Thailand. The last show called Taiko Drum Show performed by Ongsasipa Group led by Mr Napassakorn Midaim.

The championships will commence with the official practice tomorrow. There will be five events altogether - Singles, Doubles, Trios, Team of 5 and the Masters. The competition will kick off with the Singles for women and men on January 17 and 18.

The Doubles will be contested on January 19 and 20. The Trios event will be held over two blocks of three games each on January 21 and 22 and the Team of 5 over two blocks of three games each on January 23 and 24.

The top 16 men and top 16 women in the All Events standings (24 games played) will qualify for the Masters finals which will be played over two blocks of 8 games each on January 25 and 26. The top 3 men and top 3 women will advance to the stepladder grand finals.

The participating countries will be vying for a total of 12 gold medals, 6 for men and 6 for women. Team managers' meeting will be held at Chaophya Park Hotel later this evening to finalise the players and conduct the lane draw.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.