16th May, Bangkok: Thailand Open champion, Ahmed Shaheen of Qatar defeated Malaysia's Daniel Lim 223-192, to capture his first tour title while Shalin Zulkifli triumphed over Singapore's Valerie Teo 244-217, for the women's title.

Shaheen made the finals after disposing off 16 year-old Adrian Ang of Malaysia 247-215, in the second semifinal match and Lim ousted his teammate Ben Heng 247-226, in the first semi before going down to the champion.

Both the finalists started off nervously when Lim had a split in the first frame before recovering with a double in the second and third frame while Shaheen had two open frames. But the 33 year-old assistant coach to the Qatar juniors came back to string together five consecutive strikes from frame three to take a comfortable 31 pin lead in the eighth frame. Lim's opened frame in the sixth settled the match in favour of Shaheen who went on to capture his first tour title with a score of 223.

In the women's division, Thailand Open runner-up Shalin Zulkifli gave Malaysia its second success in the ABF Tour when she outclassed 18 year-old Valerie Teo for the coveted Thailand title. Shalin was in total control in the match although she had an opened frame in the sixth. Teo could not keep pace with the champion despite finishing strongly.

The runner-up made the finals after knocking out Filipina Irene Garcia 244-223, in the closely fought first semifinal match while the champion defeated Singapore's Alice Tay 248-182, in the other semi.

After two legs in the inaugural ABF Tour, Shaheen now leads the rankings table with 108 points, ahead of Daniel Lim in second with 80, followed by first leg champion, Ryan Lalisang in third with 75 points. Meanwhile, Alice Tay

shot to the top of the women's table with 91 points, followed by Shalin in second with 88, and first leg champion, Wendy Chai of Malaysia, in third with 75 points. The ABF Tour will move on to Manila in the Philippines for its third leg which will be held 12 - 13 June, 2004.

The ABF Tour comprises six Legs and a Grand Final, the Tournament of Champions. Each Leg will be staged over two competition days where the top 16 men and 16 women bowlers from the preceding International Open Masters Event (Open Grade) will compete in a one-game match play knock-out competition for the individual men's and women's titles.

The Tournament of Champions will be staged over four competition days where the top 16 men and 16 women bowlers (based on ABF Tour ranking points), plus two additional wildcard entries from the West Asia region (thus totalling 18 men in the men's division), will qualify to compete over four rounds of competition for the coveted men's and women's ABF Tour Champion titles.

The ABF Tour - Thailand is televised LIVE in Thailand and shown on local television stations of the six countries where the tour is being held. It is also broadcast later from parts of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, central Asia, China and Australasia with an estimated audience of around 75 million.

For further information and details please contact ABF Tour Committee Marketing and Event Management Division at Tel: (852) 2810 5191; Fax: (852) 28105192; Mr. Ritchie Lai (Mobile: (852) 93598669; email: ritchie.lai@tndgroup.com or Mr. Kelvin Pong (Mobile: (852) 9100 0958; email: Kelvin.pong@tndgroup.com or by visiting ABF Tour official website: www.abftour.com".

Photos courtesy of Keith Hale/Bowlers Journal.

15th May, Bangkok: Foreign challengers outshone local bowlers as favourites cruised into the semifinals of the ABF Tour Thailand leg at Brunswick RCA Bowl this evening.

Top-seed Ahmed Shaheen made the semifinals with Malaysians Adrian Ang, Ben Heng and Daniel Lim taking the other three berths while Malaysia's Shalin Zulkifli, Filipina Irene Garcia, Singapore's Valerie Teo and Alice Tay made the women's semifinals.

Thailand's Yannaphon Larpapharat was the only local bowler to win his Round 1 match narrowly defeating fellow-countryman, Sithiphol Kunaksorn 170-169 only to see his hopes dashed when he crashed out to Ahmed Shaheen 168-237.

Last year's Thailand Open champion, Annop Arromsaranon also made an early exit losing to Filipino Chester King 154-201 ending the country's hope in the inaugural ABF Tour - Thailand.

But the show went to the Malaysian bowlers when 16 year-old Ang, Heng and second-seed Lim all won their Round 1 and 2 matches to occupy three of the four semifinal berths. Ang knocked out Qataran Abdulla Al-Qattan 206-181 in Round 2 while Heng outclassed King 268-221 in his second match.

Thailand Open runner-up Lim look set to erase his disappointment by booking his passage to glory when he ousted Chinese Taipei's Wang Tien-Fu 214-202. Shaheen will meet Ang in the first semifinal match while the other will be an all-Malaysian affair between Heng and Lim.

In the women's division, Saowapa Kunaksorn could not carry on Thailand's charge on home ground when she was defeated by Singapore's Alice Tay 131-205 in Round 2 despite knocking our fellow-countrywoman Panumart Srisuratipipit 226-194 in the earlier round. Alice was joined by 18 year-old Valerie Teo after she easily beat Malaysia's ex-international, Low Poh Lian 224-172 to book her semifinal spot.

Thailand Open runner-up, Shalin Zulkifli showed her determination not to repeat an early exit in the first leg by knocking out her less experienced teammate, Esther Cheah 225-179 to make the semifinals. The last semifinal spot was taken up by Filipina, Irene Garcia when she outclassed her opponent Jennifer Tan of Singapore 241-160 in Round 2.

Valerie Teo is matched against Irene Garcia in the first women's semifinal while Alice Tay will face off with the determined Shalin Zulkifli in the other.

The ABF Tour comprises six Legs and a Grand Final, the Tournament of Champions. Each Leg will be staged over two competition days where the top 16 men and 16 women bowlers from the preceding International Open Masters Event (Open Grade) will compete in a one-game match play knock-out competition for the individual men's and women's titles.

The Tournament of Champions will be staged over four competition days where the top 16 men and 16 women bowlers (based on ABF Tour ranking points), plus two additional wildcard entries from the West Asia region (thus totalling 18 men in the men's division), will qualify to compete over four rounds of competition for the coveted men's and women's ABF Tour Champion titles.

The ABF Tour - Thailand is televised LIVE in Thailand and shown on local television stations of the six countries where the tour is being held. It is also broadcast later from parts of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, central Asia, China and Australasia with an estimated audience of around 75 million.

For further information and details please contact ABF Tour Committee Marketing and Event Management Division at Tel: (852) 2810 5191; Fax: (852) 28105192; Mr. Ritchie Lai (Mobile: (852) 93598669; email: ritchie.lai@tndgroup.com or Mr. Kelvin Pong (Mobile: (852) 9100 0958; email: Kelvin.pong@tndgroup.com or by visiting ABF Tour official website: www.abftour.com".

Photos courtesy of Keith Hale/Bowlers Journal.