28th November, Singapore: 2006 Singapore Open champion, Lee Yu Wen ended a three year title drought to emerge as the 40th Singapore National champion while national youth, Fok Ka Wai was crowned the national women champion on Saturday.

Since winning the 2006 Singapore Open title and the Trios silver medal at the 2006 Doha Asian Games, 29-year-old Lee Yu Wen has not been on the podium in all his domestic and international outings.

But on Saturday, Lee beat all odds including Singapore's most successful national bowler, Remy Ong to emerge as the 2009 national men champion. The southpaw, who went into the stepladder finals as top seed after he topped the 12-game finals earlier with 2063.

Ong, who was seeded No. 3, had to go the extra mile to beat No. 2 seed and ex-national youth, Benjamin Hong, 258-237 to take the challenge to Lee in the finals. But Ong just could not repeat the form he displayed earlier in the all-left-hander finals.

Meanwhile, national youth upstaged her more senior compatriots to earn the national women champion. The No. 1 seed was forced into the sudden-death decider after Asian Youth Games two gold medalist, New Hui Fen took the first match, 172-140.

But the 19-year-old Fok quickly settled down in the second match to beat Hui Fen, 201-172 to claim the coveted title. The runner-up and No. 2 seed, Hui Fen out-classed third-seed, Jannifer Tan, 224-185 to earn a crack at the title.

The champion topped the earlier 12-game finals with a total of 2629 ahead of Hui Fen in second with 2623 and Jennifer Tan third with 2419.

Mr Robin Yap, Vice President & Head - Sports Industry of SingaporeBowling was on hand to give away the prizes to the women's winners.

Mr Lim Kok Hin, Senior Director & General Manager, Business Imaging Solutions & Business Solutions Division, Canon Singapore Pte Ltd gave away the prizes to the men's division.

Photos courtesy of SingaporeBowling.