SBF bowled over by Singapore Open success
Lauded by the Singapore Bowling Federation (SBF) president Jessie Phua as "the most successful edition ever", the 49th Singapore International Open saw nearly 700 bowlers from 15 countries vie for a prize pool of over $170,000.
The tournament started on May 27, and despite it concluding just yesterday, SBF is already looking to roll out even bigger plans for the next edition.
Said Phua: "Hopefully, in our 50th anniversary next year, we can help make Singapore bowling even more prominent on the global radar.
"We've always believed we can (achieve that goal) and we've formed a special committee that already has some new ideas for next year in incubation."
Withholding further details, the 61-year-old added: "It will be extremely exciting, in terms of intensity and competition."
Phua was especially pleased with the presence of a record 182 overseas bowlers this year who lifted the standard of the competition.
"Bowlers from South Korea hardly travel out of the country for tournaments like this, but they've given us the honour."
RAISING THE BAR
"Hopefully, in our 50th anniversary next year, we can help make Singapore bowling even more prominent on the global radar."SBF president Jessie Phua
She also said that raising the bar would be good for the Singaporean bowlers to learn to adapt and adjust to changing competition environments.
The Republic's South-east Asia Games bowling contingent who won four golds, five silvers and a bronze at the 2015 edition on home soil will have a vastly different experience at the next Games, held this August in Kuala Lumpur.
"The level of competition is very intense (when you play away from home)," said Phua.
"The crowd, the environment is going to be different, and it will play on (the athletes') psyche. They will have to learn to deal with that."
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