Australia start Strongly at Asian Youth Championships

Team Australia has started strongly at the Asian Youth Championships Singles event with two of three squads completing their six games.

In the first squad, the girls pairing of Emily Hart and Samantha Clifton was a standout.

Emily Hart bowled superbly on her way to sit top of squad 1 averaging 203 over the six games. Samantha Clifton also bowled amazingly averaging 191.83 on her way to sitting in third position for the squad.  

“I was extremely nervous before the squad, but my goal for today was to learn new techniques and maintain an average above 200, which I successfully achieved,” explained Emily.

Bowling for the first time for Australia, the boys of Ryan Chi and Luke Doyle struggled to get anything going in the singles event and will be looking to respond in the doubles event.

Squad Two followed and so did more success for the Aussies.

Hannah Clark and Blake Walsh both emerged as top performers in their respective squads, joining Emily Hart as strong contenders for medals in the singles event.

Queenslander Hannah Clark achieved a remarkable total score of 1,222 over six games, with an average of 203.67, securing the top position in squad two. Fellow team member Ellieh Bowman made her Australian debut and finished in 9th position in the same squad, concluding with a score of 1,016.

Clark’s outstanding performance has propelled her to the leading position in the combined girls’ standings, surpassing Emily Hart’s score from the first squad by four pins. With one squad remaining, the Australian team is now in contention for gold and silver medals.

“I’m incredibly excited. I was quite nervous at the start of the singles event, but I’m proud of my performance and how I finished,” expressed Clark after the squad. “After a few games, I felt the lanes opening up, allowing me to generate more ball movement, which helped me relax even further.”

In the second squad for the boys, Blake Walsh from Ballina and Queensland’s Jordan Harrold showcased their skills. Harrold quickly ascended to the top of the leaderboard with an impressive first-game score of 247. It didn’t take long for Walsh to surge up the standings and claim the top spot in the squad with an incredible average of 216.67 on the long pattern, while Harrold also delivered a strong performance, finishing in eighth place with an average of 192.83.

Despite Blake’s exceptional performance in squad two, Thailand’s Vlinkorn Kiedkaew finished 29 pins ahead of the Australian. As the final squad approaches, Walsh is currently in contention for a silver medal.

“I’m feeling absolutely fantastic,” exclaimed Walsh. “I’m incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to represent my country.”

As we eagerly await the results, let’s stay updated with the standings of the third squads that are scheduled to commence at 12 pm AEST. Stay updated with the latest by visiting our hub

Combined Female Standings Singles

Combined Male Standings Singles

📷Credit to abf-online.org for the pictures