Hong Kong ace Wu Siu-hong cemented his claim as Asia's number-one ranked player when he won the season-ending ABF Tour Tournament of Champions men's crown in Jakarta on Sunday.
Hong Kong's king of the alleys defeated arch-rival Joonee Gatchalian of the Philippines 235-227 in a tense final to take home the top prize of US$20,000. Gatchalian had to settle for US$6,000.
'I was very nervous at the beginning of the match and made some mistakes in the third frame,' revealed the 21-year-old Wu. 'After he sixth frame, my coach told me to make some adjustments and it paid off.'
Wu, who had knocked out Malaysian Adrian Ang in the semi-finals, displayed superb fighting skills to stave off a formidable challenge from the Filipino, who led in the early stages. Despite a single-pin miss in the third frame, Wu rallied bravely as he levelled in the eighth frame and then held on to clinch the final by eight pins.
'I am now looking forward to the 2005 tour starting with the Hong Kong team's participation in the Kuwait leg in March,' said Wu.
The tour kicks off in Doha, Qatar, next month with the Emir Cup before moving on to Kuwait. There will be a total of eight legs before the Tournament of Champions returns to Jakarta in January 2006.
