Singapore's women bowlers up for Asiad title defence
Retaining a title is often harder than winning it.
Hence, Singapore's women bowlers know the magnitude of their task as they defend their team title at the Asian Games in Indonesia from Aug 18 to Sept 2.
Yesterday, the 12-member bowling squad for this year's Asiad were announced.
At the Incheon Asiad four years ago, the women keglers fought tooth and nail to pip hosts South Korea to win the Republic's first Asiad gold in the women's team event.
One of them, Jazreel Tan, who also won a silver in the women's singles and a bronze in the women's all-events in 2014, admitted that expectations will be high.
The 28-year-old, who last month became the first local woman to win the Singapore Open since 2008, said: "There will definitely be pressure on the whole team to do well.
"We've put in a lot of hard work over the last year to ensure all of us hone in on our game. I hope it pays off at the Asiad."
Joining her are four other members of that gold medal-winning team - Shayna Ng, who won the PWBA Las Vegas title in March, last year's SEA Games women's singles champion Cherie Tan, Brunswick Ballmaster Open 2017 winner Daphne Tan and this year's Singapore Open runner-up Joey Yeo.
Completing the women's team is Asiad debutante Bernice Lim, who won the mixed-gender AIK International Tournament in January and finished second in last week's Hong Kong Open.
As for the men's team, five out of six will be making their Asiad debut. Three of them - Basil Ng, Darren Ong and Cheah Ray Han - won the men's team gold at last year's SEA Games.
They will be joined by Jonovan Neo, champion of the 2018 DIBC Open Tournament, Alex Chong and Muhammad Jaris Goh, who made his Asian Games debut in 2014. Ong said he has been given a confidence booster by finishing second in last week's Hong Kong Open.
He said: "Although I am taking part in my first Asian Games, the competition is with myself. How can I rise to the occasion?"
Singapore Bowling president Jessie Phua said they have always challenged the bowlers to "grow the depth and breadth of their game".
She said: "We give them a lot more space to develop through exposure at overseas competitions. And they did really well at the recent Hong Kong Open."
"Our girls are medal contenders and we are looking to them to fly the Singapore flag high. For our guys, they are up against tough competition. I told them to bowl without pressure.. . Let them surprise us."
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