Bangkok International Triples Winners 2016
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On the 30th august the Royal Bangkok Sports club hosted a international bowls event over 5 days with national teams from all over asia were invited to participate, teams included were Philippines, India, Malasia, Singapore, Hong, Kong, China, Japan. Korea and many top thai teams from Bangkok, The Retreat Bowling club in Pattaya were given 2 wild card team slots in which they duly filled and travelled to this very highly contested tournament.
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There were 6 groups of 6 teams and the format was a round robin ranking stages with the top 2 from each group going through to the quarter finals. The triples group of Keith Fortt Ian Riches and Nina Riches were drawn in a particually difficult group with last years winners Thailand and several other top teams, The Retreat team played some superb bowls to go through the group stages unbeaten and even beating the favourites Thailand on the way.
The quarter finals sees the in form Retreat team taking on the team from China, it was a very tight battle going down to the last bowl of the day which see skipper Ian Riches drawing the shot to put China out and the Retreat in the semi finals.
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Now teams were looking at The Retreat as a real threat to taking this title.
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The Semi finals match was going to prove to be their hardest test to date and clashed with the only other unbeaten team of The Philippines who had shown they were the inform team with some massive victories to get themselves to this stage. The quality of play and skill from both teams did not dissapoint with Nina Riches and Keith Fortt battling hard at the front and setting up some good points to keep the Retreat in with a shout, with 11 ends played the score was 11-11 a piece, with 2 ends to play the Retreat pulled off a spectacular display of bowls to leave the Philippines leaving the competition and The Retreat were in the final.
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They were to meet once again the Thai Team and last years winners, although The Retreat had beaten them in the earlier rounds you could sense that this final was poised and no one knew which way it would go, shots were traded and each end the lead changed every end again at the right moment of the game with 3 ends to play the Retreat made their move and took 3 valuable points which the Thai team were unable to recover and against all odds the Retreat team become champions.
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The Royal Bankok Sports Club put on a fabulous evening with the presentation of the trophies and a splendid international Buffet, on reflection Keith Fortt Ian Riches and Nina Riches had pulled off a very well earned victory with all of them having to play their best bowls to achive this international victory. So a very big congatulations to them and all involed in helping them to this achievement.
