Abner Loo
KUCHING: Sukma XIX shadow team bowler Abner Loo Chun Lik could not believe his ears when he was informed that he lost only by one pin in the finals of the Under 18 Youth in the Hong Kong International Open Bowling Championships at SCAA Bowling Centre Hong Kong yesterday.
The 17-year-old from SMK Methodist Sibu finished with an overall total pinfalls of 1,172 over six games averaging 195 per game.
Wong Son Ian, a U18 girl from Macau, won the title while Lin Yin Tong from Chinese Taipei came in third.
This tournament is of mixed classification where boys and girls compete, with the girls were given 48-pin handicap for the six games (eight pins a game).
On a happier note, Sukma XVIII gold medallist Christopher Tiong, who is with Swinburne University, took the Youth Open singles and all-events titles.
He also teamed up with Mohd Uzair Irsyad, another elite player, to win the doubles.
Both Tiong and Mohd Uzair have qualified into today’s Youth Open Masters Finals.
Sarawak head coach Jackson Ting Nik Soon was with the team of three boys and had given Tiong the duty to stand behind Loo during the finals while he supervised.
This would enable Tiong to know the characteristics of the ball transition on the surface of the lanes for his finals today and as well as learning to give accurate movement adjustments to Loo.
Amateur Tenpin Bowling Association of Sarawak (Abas) have always encouraged ex-Sukma athletes to take up coaching and contributing towards their own sport, especially in their youth development programmes.