SINGAPORE – A breakthrough year in 2023 culminated in national bowler Darren Ong claiming the men’s singles title at the International Bowling Federation world championships in Kuwait last October, the first for a Singaporean since Remy Ong won the event in 2006.
Ong’s historic win and his achievements in 2023 earned him the Bowler of the Year accolade at the Singapore Bowling Federation’s (SBF) annual awards night on April 8.
While he was unable to attend the ceremony at Raffles Town Club as he is competing at the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) World Series of Bowling XV in Detroit, Michigan, the 28-year-old said winning the award felt “very special”.
“The team are full of world-class bowlers, so to be able to stand out last year and win the award this year does make it very special to me,” said Ong, who is only the second man after Jaris Goh (2018) to receive the award in the last decade.
“Years of hard work on and off the lanes have made it possible and it couldn’t have been done without the help of our coaches and supporting staff from SBF and Singapore Sport Institute.”
Ong also won two bronzes at the world championships – in the men’s doubles with Goh and in the all events. He had bagged his first individual international title at the Philippine International Open in May, just months before his triumph on the world stage.
Before that, the closest he had come to winning an international title was in 2018 when he finished second at the Hong Kong International Open.
Reflecting on 2023, Ong said: “It’s definitely been a dream come true in many ways, from winning my first open title to ending off the year winning a gold and two bronzes at the world championships.”
He believes that being able to focus on bowling full time after graduating from the RMIT University in May 2023 was crucial to his stellar form last season.
He also highlighted the importance of the spexScholarship, which allowed him to compete in multiple tournaments throughout the year, helping him gain valuable experience and identify his strengths and weaknesses.
He added: “The strength and conditioning, help from my psychologist for the mental aspect of the game and the sports science department to break down my game and get into the finer details all played a huge part in my breakthrough last year.”
Ong hopes to keep improving his craft as he competes with top bowlers on the PBA Tour. He is also eyeing a place in the Singapore team for September’s Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships in Bangkok.
Meanwhile, Colleen Pee picked up the Youth Bowler of the Year award for the second-straight time.
The 19-year-old won a gold and two bronzes at the 2023 Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championships as well as a women’s doubles silver and a team bronze at the world championships.
She said: “I was shocked at first because I didn’t expect myself to win this award again. I want to thank my teammates, coaches and the whole village behind me who have helped me improve.”
Pee recalled how she had found it nerve-racking to train with the seniors in 2022, but quickly got used to working with and learning from them.
“They’ve helped me along the journey and there’s more to learn from them,” she said. “I’ve gained more confidence from them because now I understand the technical and tactical parts of my game better.”
Pee, who is in her final season as a youth bowler, is hoping to earn a spot at the July 7-18 World Youth Championships in South Korea.
A new SBF logo and jersey designs were also unveiled at the ceremony.
Thanking sponsors and stakeholders for their support, SBF president Valerie Teo said: “We must nurture a strong pipeline of young talent to ensure that bowling continues to thrive and deliver success for generations to come.
“They’re not just competitors but also ambassadors of our sport.”
