<p>Defending champions Dhruv Sarda and Sabeena Athica retained the men’s and women’s titles after completing facile victories on the last day of the 25th National tenpin bowling championships at Blu-O bowling alley here on Sunday. <br /><br /></p>.<p>In the step ladder knockout format, Sadha, who was the top seed, got the better of Karnataka’s Akaash Ashok Kumar 414-369 in the two-round final. <br /><br />After Akaash had taken a slender four-point lead (198-194) going into the second game, the more confident Dhruv upped his game in the later half of the second game with a string of spares and strikes to emerge victorious. <br /><br />In the women’s step ladder event, Tamil Nadu’s Sabeena quelled the challenge of Karnataka’s Judy Alban 353-307 to win her eighth national title. <br /><br />After Sabeena had taken a narrow 11-point lead (183-172) going into the second game, she further extended her advantage as Judy struggled to play catch up. <br /><br />Earlier in the men’s step ladder competition, Akaash rattled off six consecutive strikes in the first game against the fourth seed Girish Gaba which helped him defeat his State-mate 451-413. <br /><br />Third seed Shabbir Dhankot, who became the youngest national bowling champion in 2010, was a bundle of nerves against Akaash and promptly lost the first game by a difference of 56 pins (179-123) and the difference was always going to be huge but he redeemed himself before going down by four pins (349-345). <br /><br />In the first match of the women’s step ladder event, Judy got the better off Delhi girl Sunandha Sarda (163-142) before easing past Pooja Hegde (187-159) in the second match. <br /><br />Awards: Men: Highest score in a single game: Shabbir Dhankot (275). <br />Maximum number of scores above 200: Dhruv Sarda: 21. <br />Women: Highest score in a single game: Sugandha Sarda: (226). <br />Maximum number of scores over 200: Sabeena Athica: 9<br />Most promising player: Varun N Ganpathy.</p>
<p>Defending champions Dhruv Sarda and Sabeena Athica retained the men’s and women’s titles after completing facile victories on the last day of the 25th National tenpin bowling championships at Blu-O bowling alley here on Sunday. <br /><br /></p>.<p>In the step ladder knockout format, Sadha, who was the top seed, got the better of Karnataka’s Akaash Ashok Kumar 414-369 in the two-round final. <br /><br />After Akaash had taken a slender four-point lead (198-194) going into the second game, the more confident Dhruv upped his game in the later half of the second game with a string of spares and strikes to emerge victorious. <br /><br />In the women’s step ladder event, Tamil Nadu’s Sabeena quelled the challenge of Karnataka’s Judy Alban 353-307 to win her eighth national title. <br /><br />After Sabeena had taken a narrow 11-point lead (183-172) going into the second game, she further extended her advantage as Judy struggled to play catch up. <br /><br />Earlier in the men’s step ladder competition, Akaash rattled off six consecutive strikes in the first game against the fourth seed Girish Gaba which helped him defeat his State-mate 451-413. <br /><br />Third seed Shabbir Dhankot, who became the youngest national bowling champion in 2010, was a bundle of nerves against Akaash and promptly lost the first game by a difference of 56 pins (179-123) and the difference was always going to be huge but he redeemed himself before going down by four pins (349-345). <br /><br />In the first match of the women’s step ladder event, Judy got the better off Delhi girl Sunandha Sarda (163-142) before easing past Pooja Hegde (187-159) in the second match. <br /><br />Awards: Men: Highest score in a single game: Shabbir Dhankot (275). <br />Maximum number of scores above 200: Dhruv Sarda: 21. <br />Women: Highest score in a single game: Sugandha Sarda: (226). <br />Maximum number of scores over 200: Sabeena Athica: 9<br />Most promising player: Varun N Ganpathy.</p>
