International News-News-Ding Hong Bowling Club

31st March, Kuwait: The 7th Kuwait International Open Bowling Championship ended with one of the closest-ever stepladder finals in which top seed, Osku Palermaa of Finland won the Men's title in a ninth and tenth frame tie breaker.

Top seed, Osku Palermaa went into the title match against challenger and No. 3 seed, Zulmazran Zulkifli of Malaysia failing to get any double strikes right to the fifth frame as his opponent down a double in the third and fourth frame for a slim lead.

Zulmazran got another double in the sixth and seventh frames and looked in total control but Palermaa got into his usual strides to response with a double in the sixth and seventh frames as well.

Whilst the Malaysian failed to capitalise in his next two frames with just spares, the Finn knocked down another double strikes in frames eighth and ninth leaving the match going down to the final frame.

Zulmazran downed a double and nine pins to end the match with 225 and another strike in the tenth frame by Palermaa would seal the victory but he struck 7 pins to spare then struck in the bonus frame to tie the match forcing a ninth and tenth frame tie breaker.

Zulmazran had a spare in the ninth frame and Palermaa struck home for 60 pins which gave the Finn the title without going into the deciding match. Zulmazran ended with 48 pins to settle for second spot.

'It has been a great week and I finally been able to capture this title after finishing second twice,' said the 32-year-old three-time European Tour champion, Palermaa. 'I felt good today and because I had a good gap from the first block, I was just enjoying my game.

Palermaa, who shot the tournament's third perfect game to lead in the first block of 8 games on Tuesday, was equally impressive today winning another 6 matches in the second block of the last 16 round-robin matchplay finals earlier.

The Finn won with 235, 245, 288, 225, 233 and 207 while losing the other two matches with respectable scores of 211 and 227 to romp home in pole position with a comfortable margin of 256 pins.

Palermaa amassed a 16-game total of 4040 ahead of Norway's Tore Torgersen, who shot the second perfect game in the 15th match. Torgersen lost to Zulmazran, 212-218 in the third stepladder match.

Zulmazran, who finished third in the second block, edged fellow compatriot and the only female in the finals, Shalin Zulkifli 192-187 in the second match. Shalin had earlier outsed No. 4 seed, Yousif Falah of Bahrain, 205-190 to set up her match with her team-mate.

Chester King of the Philippines, who was fourth before the position round match, lost to Zulmaran, 148-238 to miss the stepladder finals in sixth position.

Palermaa won the top prize of US$25,000 and a trophy with Zulmazran settling for US$12,000. The Norwegian took home US$8,000 for dropping to third while Shalin won US$6,000 and Yousif US$5,000.

Shalin, who was the top seed for the women's stepladder finals, had a chance to pick up another US$2,750 but had to settle for US$1,900 after losing the title match to challenger and No. 3 seed, Vanessa Fung of Hong Kong, 224-234 in another closely fought finals.

Vanessa, who won US$2,750 as the women's champion, had earlier ousted No. 2 seed and newly-crowned ABF Tour TOC women's champion, Sharon Limansantoso of Indonesia, 218-194 in the second match.

Vanessa also edged Bahrain's Nadia Aqeel, 226-224 in the first stepladder match before going all the way to the title. Limansantoso and Nadia took home US$1,500 and US$1,000 respectively for finishing third and fourth.

The top 16 Asian men qualified for the ABF Tour Kuwait leg which will be contested at the same venue, Cozmo Bowl on Thursday, April 1. The Kuwait leg will be telecast LIVE over Kuwait TV commencing 11.30am.