SEA Games 2025: Singapore bowlers win gold in women’s doubles
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Singapore bowlers Charmaine Chang (left) and Arianne Tay posing with their gold medals after winning the SEA Games bowling women’s doubles event, in which they beat Alisha Larasati and Putty Armein of Indonesia in Bangkok on Dec 17.
PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN
Joel Chang
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- Bowlers Arianne Tay and Charmaine Chang won gold in the SEA Games women's doubles, defeating Indonesia 379-353.
- This is Chang's second gold at the Games, having won the singles previously and dedicating it to her mother.
- Tay and Chang met with formidable competition on their way to the gold medal, citing determination as their key to victory.
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SINGAPORE – Trailing against Malaysia’s veteran bowlers Sin Li Jane and Natasha Roslan in the SEA Games women’s doubles quarter-finals on Dec 17, Charmaine Chang and Arianne Tay were facing an uphill task of retaining the title won by Cherie Tan and New Hui Fen at the Hanoi Games in 2022.
But wanting to leave no regrets on the lane, Singapore’s Games debutantes fought their way back, posting a 467-458 win to enter the last four.
Victory over the illustrious Malaysian pair – 33-year-old Sin’s trophy haul includes the prestigious US Women’s Open and PWBA Tour Championship, while Natasha, 29, is also a multiple medallist on the international circuit – set the Singaporean duo on the winning path at the Blu-O Rhythm and Bowl in Bangkok.
They next beat Malaysia’s Adania Redzwan and Nur Hazirah Ramli 432-428 in the semi-finals, before edging out Indonesian duo Alisha Larasati and Putty Armein 379-353 for Singapore’s second bowling gold at these Games.
Asked for her thoughts when they were trailing against Sin and Natasha, Chang said they simply focused on “their shots and the process, rather than the outcome”.
“We knew that we just needed to make the shots. We’ll just see the outcome. And I guess, the outcome worked in our favour today,” said the 26-year-old, who had also won the women’s singles on Dec 15
Tay admitted that it was demoralising when they went behind. The 21-year-old said: “You know, they had a lot of strikes, and maybe we weren’t so lucky at the start because we didn’t get as many strikes.
“So, I mean, it may be a bit demoralising to see the score and to see that we are losing, right? But I think ultimately we know that for bowling, the game isn’t finished until it’s finished. So we really just bowled our hearts out.
“We really just fought all the way to the end. And yeah, we just wanted to put our effort in and leave no regrets on the lane.”
The other Singaporean pair Colleen Pee and Nur Irdina Hazly were unable to progress past the quarter-finals, falling 425-379 to Indonesia’s Sharon Limansantoso and Aldila Indryati, who then lost 388-353 to compatriots Alisha and Putty in the semi-finals.
Singapore’s bowlers will be back in action on Dec 18 in the men’s and women’s team of four categories. The women’s team will be looking to retain their title, with Chang noting that “anything can happen”.
“We have gathered a lot of information (on the oiling patterns) from the singles and doubles events, so from there, we will have to work together,” she added.
