After a poor 2017 SEA Games, where the team won just two of the 11 golds, Singapore Bowling Federation (SFB) vice-president Valerie Teo is banking on the keglers to bounce back when the competition rolls off at Manila's Coronado Lanes on Dec 3.

The Republic will be aiming to topple arch-rivals Malaysia, who won seven golds at home in 2017 to continue their run of being the region's No. 1 bowling country since 2007.

Former Singapore bowler Teo, 34, said: "Philippines has home-ground advantage and Malaysia has really strong contenders, but our aim has never been to beat one team but to go there and be the best.

"Our team are very experienced, they're able to dig deep, grind it out and come out on top of it."

Teo, an Asian Games gold medallist in 2006, was speaking on the sidelines of the 50th Singapore Nationals and fifth National Youth Championships at the SingaporeBowling @ Rifle Range bowling centre yesterday.

She told The Sunday Times that the bowlers have been working on various aspects of their game, with the focus on team bonding and mental skills.

Teo, who is one of two assistant chefs de missions for the Games, said: "The high-performance team and coaches have come up with good programmes. It's really about fine-tuning and performing when the battle comes.

"They look even better this year. The last Games definitely could have gone better, but they gave it their all and are ready to come back stronger."

With Singapore aiming to clinch both team golds in Manila, their hopes were boosted last week after Shayna Ng, New Hui Fen and sisters Cherie and Daphne Tan won the Women's Open Classic Quartet of the Singapore Nationals with 2,698 pinfalls.

Ng said yesterday that the final tournament before the Games was "a small sign that we are on track". But there could be some furrowed brows in the SBF, with none of the eight from the Games squad qualifying for the stepladder finals.

But Games debutant Alex Chong is not unduly worried, saying: "These different events allow us to communicate and learn how our teammates bowl, and it's important that we understand why such things happen."

National training squad member Marcus Lim clinched his first men's masters title yesterday after defeating top seed Oku Keita of Japan 217-216, 188-183.

Top women's seed Jazreel Tan, who was not selected for the Games, edged out defending champion Charlene Lim 208-215, 227-200 in the stepladder final.

For Tan, the win serves as encouragement after a challenging year, when she was also not picked for the Women's World Championships in August. She said she has not felt comfortable with her game, but added: "I feel great (today). To come out on top reassures me that I'm on the right track."

In the youth division, Leong Weng Hong and Mandy Koh clinched the boys' and girls' titles respectively.