BY ZACHERY PER
GOROKA woman bowler Monica Au was undefeated in the Tokioís Mixed Triples Bowling Tournament to win the 2007 title.
Au narrowly beat her Mount Hagen rival Pila Vui 10-9 to claim the title at Goroka Bowling Club at the weekend.
She went into a tie breaker at the final end under rain and the creeping nightfall however, her final roll brought her home to win by a point.
Au skipped father and son Tom and Jerry Nege to win the first prize of K3,000.
The runner-up trio received K2,400 while the third place getters, Gorokaís Anam Somu (skip) and couple Robert and Nina Yewe shared K1,400.
Mount Hagen veteran bowler Atari Kokao led his wife Scholar Kokao and Gorokaí Lucy Baru to finish fourth and collect K500.
Gorokaís Philip Guimap won the major plate title of the tournament defeating his Goroka counterpart Pais Au 14-12 at the end of the 15 hands.
Prominent bowler Paddy Fagan said Mrs Au successfully skipped through undefeated, beating all odds, especially the male bowlers, to win the title.
He said a total of 105 bowlers from Bowling Clubs around the country participated in 35 teams.
“This is the highest number of bowlers and teams to take part in any one nationally-sanctioned tournament,” Fagan said.
Heavy down pour disrupted the finals at 6.30pm as the bowlers were moving into the final hands of the top placing.
The tournament committee decided against ruling to end the game when the rain eased and sent the bowlers out on to the green at 7pm to start the final.
Match committee representative Andrew Kalang thanked the participants of the two-day tournament.