Champions bowlers set for tourney
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
All but one of Asia's top 16 ranked men's and women's players are slated to participate in next week's 2004 Asian Bowling Federation (ABF) Tournament of Champions.
"The top 16 men and two additional wild cards, and top 16 women bowlers, have confirmed that they will take part in the Tournament of Champions, with the exception of the ABF Tour's 16th ranked woman bowler, Valerie Teo of Singapore, who is absent as she must take university exams," tournament committee deputy chairman Mahendra Wardhana said on Friday.
Teo is to be replaced by 17th ranked Jenny Ho of Hong Kong, he added.
The Tournament of Champions is the grand final of the ABF Tour, which comprises six preceding events before Jakarta. It will be held at Jaya Ancol Bowl in North Jakarta from Jan. 13- Jan. 16,
The four-day Tournament of Champions will use a round robin system, with all players playing each other over the first two days.
The top eight qualify for the knockout rounds.
In the men's section, ABF Tour top ranked Chester King of the Philippines, Asian number one Ahmed Shaheen of Qatar and Wu Siu Hong of Hong Kong, ranked number one last year, are favorites.
The winner of the 2003 Tournament of Champions, Purvis Granger, who represented the Philippines, was prohibited by the ABF from participating this year because he is considered an American national.
Local bowler Ryan Lalisang, who won the ABF Tour stop in Malaysia in March, has stepped up his training in recent weeks in preparation for the final.
In the women's section, ABF Tour first ranked Putty Armein from Indonesia and her compatriot Happy Soediyono, Asian number one Shalin Zulkifli of Malaysia and winner of the 2003 Tournament of Champions Liza Del Rosario will compete.
Putty, who won the ABF Tour event in Indonesia last October and Hong Kong Open in November, said her main threats were Shalin and Rosario.
The Tournament of Champions provides a total purse of US$75,000, with the male champion receiving $20,000 and the female winner half that amount.