Alumni's Striking Performance At Bowling World Championships

Photo Credit: Team Singapore's Facebook Page

The national bowling team’s outing at the International Bowling Federation Super World Championships has been nothing but impressive. After 14 days of intense action from 3 to 16 November 2021 in Dubai, the team bagged a total of 5 medals which includes 2 historical podium finishes in the Men’s Team (silver medal) and Women’s Singles event (gold medal). This made it the nation’s most successful campaign at a combined World Championships.

Three Singapore Sports School alumni, Darren Ong Wei Siong, Iliya Syamim Muhammad Azni, and triple SEA Games gold medallist New Hui Fen, were part of the 8-person strong contingent that made history at the World Championships. Darren was part of the Mixed Team who won a bronze medal with teammate Shayna Ng, Cherie Tan and Cheah Ray Han. He was also part of the team which won Singapore’s first silver medal at the Men’s Team event. The team fell short against South Korea who won 248-198 in the final.

This is not the first time Darren has made history. Previously, he was part of the Men’s Team with alumni Basil Ng Jui Chang, Keith Saw Hui-Xun, Muhammad Jaris Goh and Joel Tan Eng An, and teammate Jonovan Neo who won Singapore’s first bronze medal at the 2018 World Bowling Men's Championships. He was also in the team that brought back Singapore’s first gold medal in 22 years at the 2017 SEA Games Men’s Team bowling event.

Alumnae Iliya Syamim and New Hui Fen had also put up a strong performance, contributing a bronze medal to the Women’s Trio Team event. The team consisting of teammates Shayna Ng and Cherie Tan defeated Malaysian opponents with 254-203 in the quarter-finals before falling to South Korea in the semi-finals with 196-244. They were also part of the Mixed Team which finished 8th place.