55th AMF BOWLING WORLD CUP, PALEMBANG (NOV 17 – 25)
While Adrian Ang will be trying to emulate Syafiq Ridhwan Abdul Malek to win the AMF World Cup, Nastasha Roslan will be attempting to win the title for the first for Malaysia and feat bowling queen Shalin Zulkilfi failed in her seven appearances.
Adrian, 31, will be making his third appearance in this unique championship which is onto its 55th edition, while Nastasha, will be making her debut appearance.
Adrian had finished 17th in his debut appearance in 2006 in Venezuela and was 23rd in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2011.
Both will be leaving with coach Ben Heng on Saturday afternoon for the championship which begins with the official practice on Sunday and ends on Nov 24.
The championship is unique because it only sees two representatives (one male and one female bowler) from each nation and the Bowling World Cup is held in a different country around the world each year and has visited more than 40 nations establishing itself as the world’s largest annual sporting event in terms of participating nations. The record number of countries participated in the championship stands at 95 in 2004 in Singapore.
This championship this year will see representatives from 77 countries compete at the 40-lane center which is part of the huge and impressive Jakabaring Sport City, the venue of the 2018 Asian Games.
The championship returns to Indonesia after they last hosted it in Jakarta 39 years ago when Paeng Nepomuceno of the Philippines won the men’s event for the second time, while Jean Gordon of Canada won the women’s title.
The format for the tournament is gruelling and consistency, stamina, strength, precision and composure under intense competition plays a key role to emerge among the top bowlers in the championship.
There will be four stages of elimination rounds. Stage 1 – Qualifying Round All bowlers in each division will roll 24 qualifying games over four days for a scratch total pinfall to decide the top 24 qualifiers to go forward to Stage 2. Men and women will bowl one squad each. Pinfall will be carried into stage 2.
Stage 2 – The Top 24 qualifiers in each division will bowl a further 8 games, league style, for a 32 game total scratch pinfall, to decide the top 8 qualifiers to go forward to Stage 3. Pinfall will be carried into stage 3. Stage 3 – In the Top 8 Bowlers (Quarter Finals Round Robin) in each division, will bowl a further 8 games league style, round robin with bonus points (30 pins for a win, 15 pins for a tie, 0 pins for a loss), for a 40 game total pinfall including bonus points, to decide the top 4 qualifiers to go forward to Stage 4. Game 8 of the quarter finals round robin will be a position round.
At the end of Stage 3 Pinfall will NOT be carried forward into Stage 4 Stage 4 – Semi and Final Matches. The semi and finals will be one game single elimination bracket. 1 st placed player versus 4th placed player, and 2nd placed player versus 3rd placed player. The winners of each semi-final match will go forward to play the title match. Pinfall will not be carried forward from game to game. All matches will be played from scratch.
Shalin has the record of most appearances – seven (1996-1998, 2000-2001, 2003–2004) in the World Cup since her debut in Northern Ireland in 1996, at the age of 18, where she led all the way but lost to Australia’s Cara Honeychurch in the stepladder finals.
Can Nastasha conquer what had eluded Shalin or Sin Li Jane who lost in the final to USA’s Shannio O’Keefe after another impressive performance in Wroclaw in 2012.
It is a tall order, as there is a formidable field which include Aumi Guerra from Dominican Republic who won the title twice – in 2010 and 2011 and Philippines’ Krizziah Lyn Tabora winner in 2017.
While USA’s O’Keefe won’t be defending the title she won last year in Las Vegas, Kelly Kulick is excited to accept the responsibility.
“Team USA definitely has had a huge presence at the World Cup, and it has been a testament to the steppingstones and progression we have, starting with a solid youth program,” said Kulick, a 42-year-old right-hander who is on Team USA for the 15th time.
USA have the championship’s record of winning the most number of times – 11 men’s title and 9 women’s title.
In the men’s category, defending champion Sam Cooley will be present to defend his title.
John Janawicz, a 47-year-old right-hander, will be representing USA and although a debutant at the tournament, his experience at the Jakabaring Sport City bowling centre, during the Asian Games will certainly come in handy in his quest.
“This tournament has always been on my bucket list, and I’m really looking forward to experiencing it for the first time,” said Janawicz, a nine-time member of Team USA.
“Just to bowl is special, especially with all of the countries that are represented. To win would be incredible. The list of winners for both the men and women is like a who’s who of our sport.”
His years in bowling, both as an athlete and in his lane maintenance role with Kegel, have taken him to about 40 countries, including Indonesia and Jakabaring Sport City, which he visited in a working role for the 2018 Asian Games.
At the 2018 World Cup, O’Keefe and Team USA’s Kyle Troup nearly became the second duo in 54 years of World Cup history to sweep both titles, a feat Sweden accomplished in 1986.
O’Keefe became the ninth woman from the United States to win the World Cup, and she was the first to do so since her Team USA teammates – Shannon Pluhowsky, Lynda Barnes and Diandra Asbaty – won three consecutive times from 2004-2006. The win marked the record 20th World Cup title for the United States.
It is a tall order, as there is a formidable field which include Aumi Guerra from Dominican Republic who won the title twice – in 2010 and 2011 and Philippines’ Krizziah Lyn Tabora winner in 2017.
While USA’s O’Keefe won’t be defending the title she won last year in Las Vegas, Kelly Kulick is excited to accept the responsibility.
“Team USA definitely has had a huge presence at the World Cup, and it has been a testament to the steppingstones and progression we have, starting with a solid youth program,” said Kulick, a 42-year-old right-hander who is on Team USA for the 15th time.
USA have the championship’s record of winning the most number of times – 11 men’s title and 9 women’s title.
At the 2018 World Cup, O’Keefe and Team USA’s Kyle Troup nearly became the second duo in 54 years of World Cup history to sweep both titles, a feat Sweden accomplished in 1986.
O’Keefe became the ninth woman from the United States to win the World Cup, and she was the first to do so since her Team USA teammates – Shannon Pluhowsky, Lynda Barnes and Diandra Asbaty – won three consecutive times from 2004-2006. The win marked the record 20th World Cup title for the United States.
In the men’s category, defending champion Sam Cooley will be present to defend his title, while other previous champions back to put his title on the line.
John Janawicz, a 47-year-old right-hander, will be representing USA and although a debutant at the tournament, his experience at the Jakabaring Sport City bowling centre, during the Asian Games will certainly come in handy in his quest.
“This tournament has always been on my bucket list, and I’m really looking forward to experiencing it for the first time,” said Janawicz, a nine-time member of Team USA.
“Just to bowl is special, especially with all of the countries that are represented. To win would be incredible. The list of winners for both the men and women is like a who’s who of our sport.”
His years in bowling, both as an athlete and in his lane maintenance role with Kegel, have taken him to about 40 countries, including Indonesia and Jakabaring Sport City, which he visited in a working role for the 2018 Asian Games.
Though his previous visit to Palembang in 2018 allowed him to learn a lot about the 40-lane bowling center and its tendencies, which no doubt will help him, Kulick and Team USA head coach Rod Ross during the World Cup, he didn’t have much time to see what the city he had to offer.
With doubt, an exciting battle is on the cards in Palembang as the competition is expected to be keen among the top bowlers.
