KUALA LUMPUR: Determination paid off for national bowler Sin Li Jane as she clinched the Brunswick Ballmaster Open title on Sunday in Helsinki, Finland.
For the 26-year-old Perak-born, it was her third title on the European Bowling Tour (EBT), since winning the EBT's Masters Championships in San Marino and the Track Dream Bowl-Palace Open, both in 2016.
In Sunday's final at Tali Bowl, Li Jane - who ended last season as Asia's No 2 women bowler overcame Finland's Kimmo Lehtonen 277-174.
Li Jane was the only Malaysian to qualify for the semi-finals (Step Four Final) when she finished second in Group A by amassing a 15-game total of 3,670 pinfalls.
National teammate Rafiq Ismail missed out on qualifying for the last four, when he finished third in the group on 3,634. Only the top two bowlers from Group A and B made the cut.
Alex Liew, who also qualified for the Step Three Final, finished eighth in Group B on 3,365.
In the semi-finals, Li Jane saw off Group B runner-up Bill O'Neill of the United States 247-238 while Group A winner Cherie Tan of Singapore went down 268-211 to Lehtonen.
Li Jane, when contacted, said: "I guess everything happens for a reason."
"Just last week, I had to stop in the Step One Final of the AIK International Tournament in Sweden, as I was not feeling too well.
"This win is definitely a great start to the season, and I wish to keep this momentum going.
"The EBT is never easy for any bowler. I've been trying for this finals."
Li Jane, whose biggest target is to do well at the Asian Games in August, pocketed €10,000 (approximately RM48,000) in prize money for her feat in Finland.
The next assignment for the Malaysian bowlers would be the Brunswick Euro Challenge in Munich, Germany in March.
