Park Mi Ran from Korea defeated
Rocio Restrepo, Colombia, 212-206, to claim the gold medal in Girls Singles on competition day one of the 10th World Youth Championships currently underway in Orlando, Florida. Park topped Jasmine
Yeong-Nathan, Singapore, in the semi-finals, 197-167, while Restrepo sidelined No. 1 seed,
Zatil Iman, Malaysia, 208-170. Restrepo eearned silver, while Yeong and Iman shared bronze, a huge disappointment for the young Malaysian, who led the six-game preliminaries since game two.
Team Canada moved from fourth to first place in the last game to take the lead in Girls Team event after the first block on long oil in the 10th World Youth Championships Tuesday afternoon at Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando, Florida, USA. Jo-Ann Sanesac, Kodee Pilling, Alyssa Cicconi and Jennifer Besana saved the best for the last game when they rolled an 880 game to finish the day with 2484 3-game total and an average of 207.00. Malaysian is in second place with 2461 (205.08), followed by Germany in third place with 2455 and Singapore in fourth with 2435. Rocio Restrepo of Colombia maintained her lead in girls all events with 3247 15-game total or an average of 216.47. 
Aaron Kong, the Malaysian anchor, struck out in his 10th frame, to give his team a one-pin lead after the first three game block on long oil in the 4-player team event in the 10th World Youth Championships in Orlando, Florida. Junior Team USA, which led after game 1 and 2 sits in second place, with Finland in third and Norway in fourth place. The 44 teams will return on Wednesday at 12.30 for the final 3-game block on short oil. The top 4 teams will advance to the finals. 
Even a Dominic Barrett in top form couldn't escape the leaders' curse at the 10th World Youth Championships at Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando, Florida. Four the fourth time in as many events the No. 1 seed did not win the gold medal as No. 2 seeded Sweden with Kim Bolleby and James Gruffman topped Barrett and Matt Hann, England, who led the Boys Doubles after six game preliminaries, 417-399, to claim the gold medal. Barrett/Hann received silver, while Gregory Gan /Mark Wong, Singapore and Robert Dan Sigurdsson/Hafthor Hardarson, Iceland shared the bronze. 
Singles champion Dominic Barrett teamed with Matt Hann (l-r) to lead the first squad of the Boys Doubles competition on short oil with 2790 pins, a 232.50 average, to break the previous record set by Korea in the year 2000 (2,685) by 105 pins. Kim Bolleby/James Gruffman, Sweden were second with 2735, followed by the second duo from England, Sean Croke/Richard Teece (2621) and Michael Kok/Nick Plummen, Netherlands (2612). Barrett shattered the championship record for individual six games with 1494 pinfall total and an average of 249.00. 
Tina Hulsch and Birgit Pöppler from Germany rolled two big games in the finals of the Girls Doubles event en route to win the gold medal in the 10th World Youth Championships. In the title match, the Germans, seeded fourth, defeated Laura Fonnegra and Rocio Restrepo from Colombia, 464-393. In the semi-finals, the Colombians survived a strong challenge from Lee Hye Mi/Lee Yeon Ji, Korea, 418-413. Germany ousted top seeded Mexicans Sandra Gongora/Daniela Alvarado, 442-389. With the defeat, the tournament leaders are 0-3 in finals of the World Youth Championships. Restrepo (r.) overtook the lead in All Events after two or three disciplines. 
Dominic Barrett (pictured left) from England won the first gold medal in the 10th World Youth Championships in Orlando, Florida, when he defeated tournament leader Fredrik Tjernes, Norway, 211-191 to claim the title in the Boys Singles event. In the semi-finals Barrett ousted Jaime Eduardo Gonzalez (left); Colombia, 244-206, and Tjernes eliminated Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 194-151. 
Fredrik Tjernes from Norway rolled a 1349 series, an average of 224.83, en route to take the lead in Boys Singles in the 10th World Youth Championships after the first of two squads Saturday on the log oil pattern. Jaime Eduardo Gonzalez from Colombia fell one spot in the final game to land in second place with 1338 (223.00). Third place belonged to Ildemaro Ruiz from Venezuela, who chalked up 1310 including the high game of the squad of 278. Rounding out the top 4 was Fidel Marchena, Dominican Republic, who had 1297 (216.17). 
The 10th World Youth Championships started on Friday morning 11.30 a.m. with the girls official practice at Boardwalk Entertainment Center in Orlando, Florida, United States. The boys took on the lanes at 3.00 p.m. followed by the Opening Ceremonies which ended at 7 p.m. The Opening Ceremonies ended with the performance of the "Percustodians" which catered to the youth bowlers. The players from record 55 countries will compete in Singles, Doubles, 4-player Team event, All Events and Masters from July 19-24.
The 2008 WTBA World Youth Championships, scheduled for July 19-24 at Boardwalk Bowl, will feature nearly 350 elite youth bowlers representing 58 countries - an increase from the 48 that competed in 2006 and 29 that were represented in 2004. Matt O'Grady leads the boys team that features first-time Junior Team USA members John Szczerbinski, Dean Richards and Adam Martinez, the 2007 U.S. Junior Amateur boys champion. Two Florida natives - the 2007 U.S. Junior Amateur girls champion Jenny Brown and Michelle Carcagente - join Emily Maier and Ricki Williams as Junior Team USA's girls representatives.
Jack Guay of Canada will take part in the 44th QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup in November returning to Hermosillo, Mexico, the city where he became the first player in the history of the event to hit a perfect game in 1994. Guay, right, repeated that feat the following year in Sao Paolo, Brazil, as well as finishing joint fifth in Singapore in 2004. As usual, a number of players will be returning to the Bowling World Cup. So far, 70 countries have officially entered. Most have still to hold their elimination competitions to determine their participants. 
Hans Karlsson, press officer of the Swedish Bowling Federation reports that multiple World and European champion Tomas Leandersson (l.) and American globetrotter Tim Mack will be on the Swedish national team for the 2008 Men's World Championships. The Swedish Bowling Federation's elite committee convinced Leandersson, actually the head coach, to lace up his bowling shoes once again for the men's Worlds. SBF also announced that Mack will serve as assistant coach during the championships. 
The World Games are a kind of "Olympic Games" for the most popular non-Olympic sports. Contested in the years following the Games of the Olympiad, the 8th World Games 2009 will be held in Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei from July 16-26, 2009. Traditionally a medal sport in the World Games, the 3-day bowling competition will be held at Happy Bowling Alley in Kaohsiung from July 20-22. 24 spots are up for grabs, eight for each of the three FIQ/WTBA zones America, Asia and Europe. Each country will send one female and one male bowler to the Games who will compete for medals in three disciplines, Mixed Doubles and men's and women's Singles. 
The Presidium of the World Tenpin Bowling Association has decided at its meeting in Kuwait on April 26 that the Women's World Championships 2009 will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States from July 26 to August 2, 2009. The WTBA had to change dates and the venue as Australia withdrew as host two moths ago. The 2009 WWC will be staged in a 56-lane bowling arena. The WTBA presidium has also announced several rules changes which become effective immediately. 
Jari Ratia (l.), Finland, the No. 7 seed, defeated fifth-seeded Zulmazran Zulkifli (r.), Malaysia in the men's final of the 8th World Ranking Masters at Senayan Sportainment Bowling Center in Jakarta, Indonesia, two-games-to-one. The Finn won the first game 248-191, but the Malaysian rebounded with a 179-173 win in game two to level the match. In the third and deciding match in best-of-three games format, Ratia cruised to the title with a 212-185 win. Ratia received the $10.000 (approx. $6,425) top prize, while Zulkifli was consoled with $5,000. 
Wendy Chai (l.), Malaysia, defeated No. 1 seed Karen Marcano (r.), Venezuela, two-games-to-one to win the Women's 8th World Ranking Masters in Jakarta, Indonesia. Marcano won the first game, 186-181. Chai, who was targeting to improve on a second-place finish in 2005, leveled the match with a 200-160 win in game two. In the third and deciding game, the long-time Malaysian national team member sealed the victory with 220-201. The champion pocketed the $10.000 (approx. $6,425) top prize, while Marcano received $5,000. 
Top seeded Karen Marcano (l.), Venezuela, advanced to the title match of the Women's World Ranking Masters at Senayan Sportainment Bowling Center in Jakarta, Indonesia, with a 2-1 victory over Diana Zavjalova, Latvia. Marcano had to go the distance in best-of-three games format and won the deciding third game, 199-173. She will meet Wendy Chai (r.), Malaysia, who targets to improve on a second-place finish in 2005. Chai eliminated Krista Pöllänen, Finland, two-games-to-none. 
Tournament leader Sami Konsteri knew if he would beat Hussain Al-Suwaidi in the quarterfinal (what he did, two-games-to-none) and No. 7 Jari Ratia would win his match against No. 2 Lucas Legnani, Argentina (what he did too, 2-0), the two Finns will meet in the semi-final of the 8th World Ranking Masters. One of the Finns will bowl for the title against the winner of the Ryan Lalisang vs. Zulmazran Zulkifli semi-final match. Local favorite Lalisang, seeded third, splitted the first two games with No. 6 Mubarak Al-Muraikhi before squeezing by the Qatari in the third game, 171-167. No. 5 Zulkifli, Malaysia, ousted No 4 Jesper Agerbo, Denmark, 2-1.