The Game! April 2014 | Page 55

BAHRAINSPORTS APRIL 2014 TOP THREE Al Hassan, Szczerbinski, left, and Loschetter Shaker spared a crucial 3-10 split in the ninth frame and needed only to mark his last frame to clinch the victory. His shot looked good but went high. Fortunately, it left a single pin which he subsequently spared to secure his triumph. “When I started off with four strikes, I was a lot more relaxed,” said the 43year-old Al Hassan, whose last title was the Thailand Open in 2013. “When you’re playing against such a good bowler, you cannot afford to make any mistakes and that was exactly what I said to myself, so I put in all my concentration into making good shots.” Al Hassan pocketed a cool US$25,000 with his win. Szczerbinski, who had earlier sailed past second-seeded compatriot Chris Loschetter 197-166, settled for US$12,500 as the runner-up, while Loschetter earned a US$8,000 payday. Defending champion Mika Koivuniemi of Finland and Chris Barnes of the US rounded out the top five. The winners and the sponsors were praised and recognised by Supreme Council for Youth and Sports secretary general Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa. Also in attendance were Bahrain Volleyball Association president and Bah- FINAL STANDINGS AND PRIZE MONEY 1 Shaker Al Hassan United Arab Emirates $25,000 2 John Szczerbinski N. Tonawanda, N.Y. $12,500 Avon, Ohio $8,000 3 Chris Loschetter OTHER PBA CASHIERS 4 Mika Koivuniemi Finland-Hartland, Mich. $6,000 5 Chris Barnes Double Oak, Texas $5,000 7 Mike Fagan Fort Worth, Texas $3,000 9 Tommy Jones Simpsonville, S.C. $2,700 10 Dom Barrett England $2,600 12 Paul Moor England $2,250 13 Bill O’Neill Langhorne, Pa. $2,000 15 Jason Belmonte 17 Brad Angelo 19 Tom Daugherty Australia $2,000 Lockport, N.Y. $2,000 Wesley Chapel, Fla. $1,500 20 Osku Palermaa 21 Tim Mack 22 Craig Nidiffer Finland $1,500 Indianapolis $1,500 Trenton, Mich. $1,500 rain Tenpin Bowling Association (BTBA) honorary chairman Shaikh Ali bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Bahrain Olympic Committee secretary general Abdulrahman Askar, and BTBA president Abdulla Al Doseri.” THE GAME sports magazine t h e g a m e 53