KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's Sin Li Jane, Natasha Roslan, and Gillian Lim narrowly missed out on the women's trios gold medal at the Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships (ATBC) in Bangkok today, following a stunning late comeback by Singapore.
The overnight leaders appeared set to secure Malaysia's fourth gold of the campaign, holding a 114-pin advantage heading into the final games.
However, Singapore's Bernice Lim, Daphne Tan, and New Hui Fen mounted a spirited charge, firing an impressive 719 in their last game.
The defending champions finished with an 18-game total of 3,822, overtaking Malaysia's 3,784.
Malaysia struggled in their final game, managing only 567 pins.
South Korea's Jung Da Wun, Ka Yun Mi and Baek Seung Ja claimed bronze with 3,765 pinfalls.
In the 2023 edition in Hong Kong, Gillian Lim was part of the Malaysian team, alongside Puteri Nurul Dini and Nora Lyana Nastasia Norkamal, that won silver.
Coach Wendy Chai, while disappointed, praised her team's overall performance.
"We aimed for a par game (average 200-210) in the final round," Wendy told Timesport today.
"Unfortunately, we were assigned to the most challenging lane pair in the centre for the last game.
"Despite not bowling poorly, we struggled to convert strikes in succession and had to settle for spares.
"We switched balls and adopted a more conservative approach, but Singapore's exceptional final series was too much to overcome.
"Credit to our opponents – shooting a 719 in the final game to clinch gold was a commendable effort."
Despite the setback, Wendy believes her women's squad will bounce back in the team event.
"There's still plenty to play for. Historically, we always fight back, and I believe this time will be no exception.
"The girls are determined to redeem themselves by winning the team gold. After what unfolded today, they'll be even more fired up. All the players have strong mentalities. They won't let this affect their next event."
Another Malaysian team, comprising Nora, Faten Najihah Ahmad Faik, and Nur Syazwani Sahar, improved on their overnight position by five spots, moving from 17th to 12th with a total of 3,463.
Malaysia have so far won three gold medals through Rafiq Ismail in the men's singles, Tun Hakim Tun Hasnul Azam-Shaqeem Izwan Teh (men's doubles), and Li Jane-Natasha (women's doubles).