Persistence pays off for Darren Ong as he wins Philippine International Open bowling title
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National bowlers Darren Ong (left) and Jazreel Tan posing with their trophies at the Philippine Bowling Federation (PBF) 4th Philippine International Open.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE BOWLING FEDERATION
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SINGAPORE – After years of hard work, Darren Ong’s persistence finally paid off with his first individual international title in the Philippine International Open on Sunday.
At the Coronado Lanes in Mandaluyong City, Manila, Ong qualified in second spot for the men’s Open Masters stepladder finals with a 1,718-pinfall total behind Malaysia’s Syafiq Ridhwan (1,731) and ahead of the latter’s teammate Azriq Izamuddin (1,673).
Ong first beat Azriq 214-203 to advance to the championship round, before defeating Syafiq 248-175 to lift the trophy.
“It will definitely be a special one, being my first Open title and being an international one adds to that,” said Ong, who was on the men’s team who won a historic silver at the International Bowling Federation’s 2021 Super World Championships.
The closest the 27-year-old had come to winning an international title was in 2018 when he finished second at the Hong Kong International Open.
But Ong believes his game has developed significantly since that outing, saying: “It’s been almost five years since that tournament, so I have definitely improved on my skills and mental game.
“Starting the Masters event, I did not think of my previous performance and how I fell short the last time.
“Instead, I focused on the present and what I can control, which are my emotions and physical game.”
Patience was key for his success in the Philippines.
Ong said: “I didn’t bowl any big games and was consistent with my scores throughout the Masters event.
“The support of my coaches and teammates played a big part in it as well, I couldn’t have done it without them.”
“I was fortunate to start off well during the first day of the tournament... that gave me confidence and took off some pressure.
“The lanes were tricky and weren’t very high scoring, so getting a good lane draw was important and taking advantage of that was essential in qualifying.”
In the women’s Open Masters, Singapore’s Jazreel Tan finished third after losing 209-191 to Malaysian Siti Safiyah Amirah in the stepladder finals’ first play-off.
The 33-year-old had progressed to the finals as the second seed with a 1,659 total behind eventual champion Alexis Sy (1,665) from the Philippines and ahead of Safiyah (1,645).
Tan said: “I’m still dealing with issues with my physical game but I tried to deal with it as best as I can and I think it was okay. Hopefully, it’s a step in the right direction.”
