Surprise silver-finish for S'pore bowler
With a five-game average of 204.2 pinfalls, bowler Jazreel Tan knew she had to go big in her sixth and final game in the Asian Games women's singles event to make the podium.
She duly delivered with a 256, the highest score for that game, for a 1,277-pinfall total.
Tan knew she had clinched a medal, but thought it was the bronze.
Speaking to The New Paper last night, silver medallist Tan said: "The South Korean (Lee Na Young) hadn't finished her last game when I was done, and I thought I would get the bronze.
"But when she was done and after the scores were tabulated someone told me that I'd actually won the silver, and I was like, 'oh, cool'.
"This medal means a lot to me, since the Asian Games is something special and I didn't have a good outing in this event at the last Games (in Guangzhou in 2010)."
Lee took the bronze (1,272 pinfalls), while Taiwan's Chou Chia-chen (1,291) won the event.
Tan started well, much to her surprise, with 245 in long oil lane conditions, but followed up with 199, 203, 178 and 196, before closing with a 256.
She said: "The long oil has never been my 'A' game and I have always been maintaining (my standards) in training, but I've actually improved during the peaking programme (before the Asian Games).
"Both Remy (Ong, national coach) and I thought that I did okay in the second to fourth games, just that the carry wasn't there for me to make the strikes."
She made some adjustments early on in the sixth game to ensure a resounding finish.
"After the first few frames Remy and I made some changes and the strikes came in. I knew I had to (finish strongly) to get silver or bronze, because Chou had too big of a lead.
"I am happy to clinch the silver, but it is still disappointing that the gold is out of reach for us yet again."
Tan's teammate New Hui Fen was the next-best Singaporean yesterday at the Anyang Hogye Gymnasium Bowling Centre, but her 1,271-total was one pinfall shy of third spot.
Daphne Tan (9th, 1,239), Cherie Tan (17th, 1,219), Joey Yeo (19th, 1,205) and Shayna Ng (32nd, 1,159) completed the Republic's roster on the second day of the bowling competition.
Former world champion Ong said: "The lanes have been really tough these two days, but we are dealing with the unexpected now by adjusting our gameplay and strategy.
SUPPORT
"The coaches have been getting all the support we could possibly have to help the bowlers do well and we just have to let everything flow in the next few days."
The bowling competition continues today with the men's doubles. Keith Saw has been paired with Muhammad Jaris Goh, while Joel Tan will partner Justin Lim. Ng Chiew Pang and Javier Tan make up the last Singapore pair to do battle on the lanes today.
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