15th November, Jakarta: Host city, Jakarta emerged as Overall Champion city of the 37th Asian Intercity Bowling Championship after winning the Men's Masters gold and silver medals while New Territories also emerged as Senior Overall Champion, winning the Men's Senior Masters gold and silver.

Paolo M. Hernandez of Jakarta showed a clean pair of heals to romp home a comfortable 289-184 victory in the first match and a commanding lead of 105 pins. The Indonesian Singles gold medalist appeared unbeatable as he started the second match with another big lead.

Challenger and team-mate, Charlie Christian found it hard to keep pace with Hernandez, who looked set to capture his second gold medal of the championship but suffered a poor split in the seventh frame. Christian then confidently struck out to edge Hernandez, 258-274, forcing a one-ball roll-off decider.

Christian struck in his one-ball tie-breaker while Hernandez missed the head-pin for a 7-pin count handing the match to his fellow-countrymen and the gold medal. Christian had defeated Ulsan's Lee Jae Jung, 2-0 in the Top 4 semi-finals round to reach the final.

Hernandez, who had won the Singles gold and two bronze medals in the Doubles and Team of 4 event, added a silver to his four medal haul. Christian had picked up the Doubles silver and a Team of 4 bronze medal, finally earned his first gold medal.

Jakarta won the overall Men division with a medal haul of 2-3-2 while the other divisions contributed a haul of 3-0-6, allowing them to emerge as Overall Champion city with 3-3-8 medal tally.

Meanwhile Anis Hannani Binti Romzi of Petaling Jaya eventually defeated triple gold medalist, Nurul Alyssa Junaidi of Shah Alam, 2-0 in the Women's final to win the gold. Petaling Jaya, who had lost three finals in the Singles, Doubles and Team of 4 to arch rival, Shah Alam, added a second gold after Faten Najihah Binte Ahmad Faik had won the All Events gold.

Hannani had earlier ousted team-mate, Puteri Nurul Dini, 2-0 in the all-Petaling Jaya semi-final match to advance to the final. Nurul Alyssa also ousted Zatil Iman Abdul Ghani, 2-0 in the other all-Shah Alam semi to face Hannani in the final.

Petaling Jaya amassed a medal haul of 2-4-2 to finish second in the Women's division while Shah Alam emerged as champion city with a medal haul of 3-1-4, three gold medals coming from the Singles, Doubles and Team of 4.

Sam Lam Kun gave New Territories their third gold medal of the championship after defeating two gold medalist, Henry Hui, 2-0 in the all-New Territories Men's Senior final. The champion had earlier dispatched Lee Soon Kiong of Pasir Ris, 2-0 in the semi-final to reach the final.

Hui, who had picked up the Singles gold, a Doubles bronze medal, a Team of 4 silver, an All-Events gold and the Masters silver, defeated Ken Ng Cheng Keng of Subang Jaya, 2-0 to face his team-mate in the final. New Territories emerged as overall Men's Senior champion city with a medal haul of 3-3-1.

Felinda Grzybowska of Kuala Lumpur, who won the Singles gold and the All-Events silver medal, picked up her second gold medal with victory over Jeju's Kim Ji Myoung, 2-0 in the Women's Senior Masters final. Grzybowska had defeated Sri Retno Pancaningsh of Jakarta, 2-0 in the semi-finals to make the final.

Kim defeated Singles silver and All-Events gold medalist, Yang Young Ja, 2-0 in an all-Jeju semi-finals to face Grzybowska in the final. Jeju emerged as overall Women's Senior champion city despite not winning the Masters gold with a final medal haul of 1-2-2.

Jeju earned US$750 and a trophy as Women's Senior champion city and New Territories was awarded US$750 and a trophy as Men's Senior champion city. Shah Alam took home US$750 and trophy as Women champion city and Jakarta picked up US$750 and a trophy as Men champion city.

Jakarta was also awarded US$1,500 and the Saito Cup as overall champion city. Ms Renny Tamba, Organizing Chairman of the championship handed the AIBC hosting flag to Mr Johnson Cheng, President of AIBC, who in turn handed it to Mr Joey Miranda III, President of Oceania Zone, IBF and AIBC secretary general as host of the next Asian Intercity Bowling Championship in Tamuning.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Jakarta, Indonesia.