12th September, Singapore: Veteran Jack Wong of Singapore prevailed to capture the ABF Tour - Singapore while Chinese Taipei's Huang Chung Yao won the women's title this evening at Safra Resort Club.

The 52-year-old ex-international displayed his years of experience in the men's final match after he defeated his young challenger, Jason Yeong Nathan 186-160 for a well-earned title.

Despite opening in his first frame from a split, Wong kept his composure to make sure he did not make any more mistakes while Nathan's game was eratic throughout. Wong made the finals after he ousted Malaysian challenger, Azidi Ameran 198-160 in the second semifinal match. Meanwhile, Nathan made the finals to have a crack at the tile after he knocked out another Malaysian, Daniel Lim, 206-195.

The win has placed Jack Wong into eighth spot in the men's ranking table after four legs and in the running for a place in the grand finals - the Tour of

Champions. Daniel Lim's third in this leg has brought his total to 126 points to move ahead of Ryan Lalisang of Indonesia and to the top of the table.

In the other all-Chinese Taipei women's final, Huang Chiung Yao became the fourth women's champion of the ABF Tour 2004 when she defeated compatriot, Lin Yi Fan, 190-170. Huang only had a open frame in the third on a split while her opponent had three open frames in a one-sided match favouring the champion.

Huang had earlier prevented Filipina, Liza del Rosario, a shot at the title following the success in Singapore Open two days ago with 215 to Liza's 171 in the second semifinal match while the runner-up, Lin Yi Fan knocked out Chu Yu Chieh, 205-179 in the first all-Chinese Taipei semifinals.

Huang's win has also put her in contention for a spot in the grand finals in 11th place with 75 points earned and her fellow-countrywoman joining her in 14th with 60 points.

The ABF Tour will comprise six Legs and a Grand Final, the Tournament of Champions. Each Leg will be staged over two competition days where the top 16 men and 16 women bowlers from the preceding International Open Masters Event (Open Grade) will compete in a one-game match play knock-out competition for the individual men's and women's titles.

The Tournament of Champions will be staged over four competition days where the top 16 men and 16 women bowlers (based on ABF Tour ranking points), plus two additional wildcard entries from the West Asia region (thus totalling 18 men in the men's division), will qualify to compete over four rounds of competition for the coveted men's and women's ABF Tour Champion titles.

The ABF Tour will move on to Jakarta in Indonesia for its fifth leg which will be held 9 - 10 October, 2004.

For further information and details please contact ABF Tour Committee Marketing and Event Management Division at Tel: (852) 2810 5191; Fax: (852) 28105192; Mr. Ritchie Lai (Mobile: (852) 93598669; email: ritchie.lai@tndgroup.com or Mr. Kelvin Pong (Mobile: (852) 9100 0958; email: Kelvin.pong@tndgroup.com or by visiting ABF Tour official website: www.abftour.com".

Photos courtesy of Murali, Asian Bowling Digest.

11th September, Singapore: Chinese Taipei's women shone on Day 1 of the ABF Tour - Singapore taking three of the four semifinal berths at NSRCC Bowling Center while Malaysia and Singapore shared honours with two each.

The 2003 Malaysian Open champion defeated teammate and ABF Tour Philippines leg champion, Alex Liew 225-212 in Round 2 to make his first tour semifinals. The 32-year-old had earlier knocked another teammate, Zulmazran Zulkilfi 220-193 in Round 1.

Joining Ameran is Singapore Open runner-up, Daniel Lim after he ousted Asian Championship Gold medalist, Wu Hao-Ming of Chinese Taipei, 218-196. Like Ameran, Lim also won his first round match defeating Singapore's Terence Tan, 205-182.

Jason Yeong Nathan gave his country a pleasant surprise when he cruised into the semifinals by outclassing Filipino, Chester King 210-170 in Round 2. Despite starting nervously, Nathan managed to edge Singapore Open

youth Masters champion, Choi Bok-Eum 178-177 in the first round. The last semifinal spot went to ex-international, Jack Wong after disposing off second-seed, Adrian Ang of Malaysia, 219-147 in Round 1 and Taipei's Lin Yi Chien, 189-176 in Round 2.

In the women's division, newly-crowned Singapore Open champion, Liza del Rosario was given an easy passage into the semifinals. Malaysia's Sarah Yap had four splits in her match against Rosario to go down, 147-181 in Round 2. The top-seed also won her Round 1 match defeating Taipei's Wang Yu Ling, 199-179 earlier.

Undoubtedly, the day belonged to the Taipei women when they took the remaining three semifinal berths. Leading the charge is Huang Chiung Yao after she ousted newcomer, Ong She-Na, 218-192 in Round 2. ABF Tour Thailand leg champion, Shalin Zulkifli was certain of defeating her opponent, Chu Yu Chieh when she converted a 3-6-10 spare in the final frame and only needed a high pin count in the bonus frame to take the match. But Shalin could only managed 6 pins to loose the match by a single pin, 178-179.

Lin Yi Fan earned her semifinal spot after knocking out Yap Seok Kim of Singapore, 204-189 in the second round to give Chinese Taipei their third semifinal slot.

Daniel Lim will meet Jason Yeong Nathan in the first men's semifinal match while Azidi Ameran will face off veteran, Jack Wong in the second. It will be an all-Taipei affair in the women's first semifinal match between Chu Yu Chieh and Lin Yi Fan while Liza del Rosario will be hoping to end the Taipei bowlers' run of good form when she meets Huang Chiung Yao in the second match.

The ABF Tour will comprise six Legs and a Grand Final, the Tournament of Champions. Each Leg will be staged over two competition days where the top 16 men and 16 women bowlers from the preceding International Open Masters Event (Open Grade) will compete in a one-game match play knock-out competition for the individual men's and women's titles.

The Tournament of Champions will be staged over four competition days where the top 16 men and 16 women bowlers (based on ABF Tour ranking points), plus two additional wildcard entries from the West Asia region (thus totalling 18 men in the men's division), will qualify to compete over four rounds of competition for the coveted men's and women's ABF Tour Champion titles.

The ABF Tour - Singapore Day 2 matches will be telecast LIVE on Singapore's Starhub and Malaysia's Astro Supersport tomorrow commencing at 18:00 (Hong Kong/Singapore time). Highlights of the leg will also be shown in the six countries where the tour are being held. It will also be broadcast later in other parts of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, central Asia, China and Australasia with an estimated audience of around 95 million.

For further information and details please contact ABF Tour Committee Marketing and Event Management Division at Tel: (852) 2810 5191; Fax: (852) 28105192; Mr. Ritchie Lai (Mobile: (852) 93598669; email: ritchie.lai@tndgroup.com or Mr. Kelvin Pong (Mobile: (852) 9100 0958; email: Kelvin.pong@tndgroup.com. Visit www.abftour.com for LIVE scores.

Photos courtesy of Sidney Tung, MTBC.