11th July, K.Lumpur: Yanee Saebe of Thailand denied Japan a double victory in the Masters event of the 12th Asian Schools Tenpin Bowling Championship by capturing the Girl's Masters gold as top seed, Hiroki Takada took the boy's gold.

All Events gold medalist, Misaki Mukotani of Japan overturned a 100 pin deficit in the first block to Thailand's Yanee Saebe to advance into the stepladder finals as top seed with 3715 and 171 pins margin.

But the 17-year-old Masters gold medalist of last year's championship found the challenger, Yanee and handful going down 410-429 to settle for the silver medal. The Thai, won the first game, 201-183 and edged Mukotani 228-227 to claim Thailand's first gold medal.

Yanee, who topped the first block yesterday but finished as second seed, prevented an all-Japanese final after she dispatched No. 3 seed, Shinobu Saito, 231-190 in the first stepladder match to advance to the finals.

The Thai had won a total of 11 matches in the 16-game round-robin finals over two days for an aggregate total of 3544 while the top seed won ten matches. Saito, who also won 11 matches had totaled 3492 to finish third.

Han Byul and Kim Ji Yeon of Korea missed the cut for the stepladder finals in fourth and fifth positions and failed to win a single gold medal for their country.

Top seed, Hiroki Takada claimed his second gold medal of the championship after he outclassed challenger, Yusuke Yamamoto, 450-391 in the all-Japanese boy's finals to secure Japan the overall champion title.

Takada retained pole position after winning 10 matches over two days for a total of 3790. Enrico Lorenzo Hernandez of the Philippines, who finished second with 3664, lost to No. 3 seed, Yusuke Yamamoto, 190-235 in the first match to take home the bronze medal.

Yamamoto edged Singapore's Gregory Gan Sheng Chiang by 20 pins with 3619 to advance into the stepladder finals as third seed. Two gold medalist, Muhammad Jaris Goh, who was third overnight, dropped down to a disappointing ninth.

Japan retained the overall champion title with a medal haul of 3-4-2 followed by Singapore A in second with 2-1-1 while Philippine A took third spot with 1-2-1. Malaysia A and Thailand tied fourth spot with one gold each.

The other gold medals won by Malaysia B (2 gold) in the Girl's Singles and Doubles were not included in the overall table. Only medals won by the first team are counted.

Photos courtesy of KLTBA.

10th July, K.Lumpur: Japan's Hiroki Takada and Thailand's Yanee Saebe sprang a surprise lead in the Boy's and Girl's first block Masters finals of the 12th Asian Schools Tenpin Bowling Championship at Mega Lanes, Endah Parade on Saturday.

Hiroki Takada, who won two gold medals in the Doubles and Team event at the last championship in Hong Kong, took over the lead after the sixth game to cruise home to a comfortable lead in the first block with 1908 winning five of the eight matches.

Two gold medalist, Muhammad Jaris Goh of Singapore, had looked set to stamp his mark again after rolling three consecutive 240s games from the third game to lead the field of 16 finalists but dropped his pace towards the end to settle for third with 1851, 57 pins adrift.

2009 Singapore Sports Schools Under-18 champion, Dechochai Tinjiratip of Thailand fired back-to-back 277 and 279 to snatch second spot with 1854, 54 pins behind the Japanese also winning five matches.

Australia's Kyle Webber did well to take fourth spot with 1838 while early leader, Enrico Hernandez of the Philippine rounded up the top 5 with 1825.

Thailand's spinner, Yanee Saebe denied Japan's domination in the Masters finals after she outshone All Events gold medalist and favourite, Misaki Mukotani of Japan to lead the Girl's division with 1911.

Yanee got off to a great start to lead the field first from Malaysia's Hurul Ainul and then Korea's Han Byul before losing the lead to the Korean at the third game. But the Thai bounced back to top the first block winning all the eight matches.

Mukotani, who won three gold medals at the lat championship including the Masters, settled for second with 1811, 100 pins adrift despite winning five matches. Malaysia's Nursyamimi Bte Supardi did well t take up third spot with 1805.

Aussie Sam Cooley and Melaka's wonder boy, Michael Mak rounded up the top 5 just one pin separating the two on 1824 and 1823 respectively.

Han Byul and her compatriot, Kim Ji Yeon who were at one stage trailing the Thai, slipped down to fourth and fifth positions with 1792 and 1771.

The bowlers will resume with their second block tomorrow and the top 3 boys and top 3 girls will advance to the stepladder finals for the last two gold medals.

Photos courtesy of KLTBA.

9th July, K.Lumpur: Singapore finally landed their first gold medal of the 12th Asian Schools Tenpin Bowling Championship after the Boy's A won the Team of Four event with Muhammad Jaris Goh picking up the second from the All Events.

Philippines Team A took an early lead with a superb opening game of 930 with Hong Kong in second, 69 pins adrift and Singapore Team B a further 15 pins away in third. Despite managing only 816, Philippines was able to hold the lead after the second game.

Singapore's Team B of Ng Chiew Pang, Christopher Hwang, Javier Tan and Chua Ming Xuan downed a better 877 to narrow the gape to 25 pins as the other Singapore team moved closer to the leading duo.

Another superb 856 gave Singapore B the lead in the first block with 2575 and Singapore A finishing second with 2573, just 2 pins separating them.

There was no stopping Muhammad Danial Zheng Yi, Muhammad Jaris Goh, Howard Saw and Gregory Gan as they cruised to a comfortable victory with 5159 to win Singapore's first gold medal of the championship.

Singapore was denied a one-two finish when Philippine snatch the silver medal with 5104. Singapore Team B settled for the bronze medal with 4993.

Muhammad Jaris Goh also picked up a second gold for himself and Singapore after topping the All Events standings with 4017. Erico Hernandez of the Philippine A won the silver with 3955 as Yusuke Yamamoto took the bronze medal with 3879.

Meanwhile, Malaysia Team A finally landed their first gold and Malaysia's second after Hurul Ainul Bte Abd Razak, Nur Shahira Bte Abd Manaf, Nursyamimi Bte Supardi and Radin Nur Najwa totaled 4873 to win the Team event.

Malaysia A, who led in the first block from Singapore Team B, lost the lead to Japan at the start of the second block but quickly bounced back after the fifth game and went on to cruise to a comfortable 108 victory.

Japan's Yuka Ohshima, Shinobu Saito, Mikie Hamamoto and Misaki Mukotani settled for the silver medal with 4765 while Nur Azri Muhamd Azan, Tracy See, Calista Tan and Kwa Ai Teng of Singapore B took the bronze medal with 4663.

Favourite, Korea Team A surprisingly only managed fourth as their counterpart, Korea Team B finished fifth nad has yet to win a gold medal at this year's championship.

Misaki Mukotani gave Japan their second gold medal after topping the All Events table with 3775. A gold medal still eluded Korea as Lee Da Woom of Team B and Kim Ji Yeon of Team A settled for the silver and bronze medals with 3730 and 3716.

Japan edged Singapore Team A by just one more silver medal after they have a medal haul of 2-2-1 to Singapore's 2-1-1 in the overall medal standings with the final two gold medals at stake in the Masters events.

Photos courtesy of Starpix.

8th July, K.Lumpur: Squad A leader, Hiroki Takada and Yusuke Yamamoto won Japan's first gold medal of the 12th Asian Schools Tenpin Bowling Championship with victory in the Boy's Doubles while Fatin Azmira and Puteri Nadia gave Malaysia Team B their second.

Singles silver medalist, Muhammad Jaris Goh with partner, Howard Saw had earlier topped Squad A of the Doubles event in the morning with a total of 2630 ahead of Thailand's Peerawitch Rungchareon and Phumin Klanbida by 20 pins.

Australia's Troy Marshall and Josh Morell set a cracking pace with a superb 513 opening game in the second squad to lead Japan's Hiroki Takada and Yusuke Yamamoto. But the Aussie pair could not keep pace with the Japanese to end the event 12 pins adrift.

Takada, who won the same gold medal last year with Shusaku Asato, totaled 2709 with Yamamoto claim Japan's first gold medal with Marshal and Morell totaling 2697 to settle for the silver medal.

Singapore Team A's Muhammad Danial Zheng Yi and Gregory Gan stormed home to snatch the bronze medal from Squad A leader and team-mates, Muhammad Jaris Goh-Howard Saw with 2677.

Meanwhile, Fatin Azmira Bte Khairul Faizi and Puteri Nadia Kamarul Mahadir gave Malaysia Team B their second gold medal of the championship with victory in the Girl's Doubles event on a total of 2626.

Singapore Team B's Nur Azri Muhamad Azan and Kwa Ai Teng, who trailed the Malaysian pair in Squad A, remained second to win the silver medal with 2549.

Lee Da Woom and Lee Ah Reum of Korea Team B, who topped the second squad with 2493, managed to finish only third to take home the bronze medal when both squads' scores were combined. Krizziah Tabora and Marie Alexis Sy missed the medal by 28 pins in fourth.

Japan's Yusuke Yamamoto and Misaki Mukotani have taken over the lead in the Boy's and Girl's All Events standings with 2700 and 2556 respectively. The Team of 4 will be contested over two blocks of 3 games each tomorrow.

The top 16 boys and top 16 girls based on their All Events standings from three events will qualify for the Round-Robin Matchplay Masters finals over two blocks of 8 games on July 9 and 10.

Photos courtesy of KLTBA.

7th July, K.Lumpur: Faten Najihah Bte Ahmad Faik of Malaysia Team B and Enrico Hernandez of Philippine Team A captured the first gold medals of the 12th Asian Schools Tenpin Bowling Championship opening Girl's and Boy's Singles event.

Faten Najihah, who set the benchmark of 1352 in the opening Squad A with 1352 ahead of Korea's Kim Ji-Yeon, hung on to win the Girl's Singles gold medal by 22 pins from Squad B leader, Misaki Mukotani of Japan.

Faten downed lines of 227, 239, 255, 231, 190 and 210 for the first gold medal for host, Malaysia. Misaki, who won the Singles and Masters gold medal at the last championship is Hong Kong, settled for the silver with 1330.

Korea Team A's Han Byul, who finished second to Misaki in the second squad, stormed home to snatch the bronze medal with 1301, just one pin ahead of the unlucky Calista Tan Li Xuan of Singapore.

In the boy's division, Squad A leader, Erico Lorenzo Hernandez of Philippine Team A clinched the gold medal with a total of 1367 just two pins ahead of Muhammad Jaris Goh of Singapore Team A, who settled for the silver with 1365.

Ederick Florencio almost gave Philippine a one-two finish but was denied the glory after finishing third with 1353 a further 14 pins adrift.

Hiroki Takada and Yusuke Yamamoto, who finished one-two in the second squad with 1318 and 1317, failed to topple the three finishers in Squad A to end up in fourth and fifth positions.

The bowlers will resume competition with the Doubles event tomorrow. The Team of Four will be contested on Friday, July 9 with the Masters Finals over two days on July 10 and 11.

Photos courtesy of KLTBA.