16 Nov 2008 at 12:19 | Published by: JJM | Views: 9562 | News search

Marcel Noack at Nations Cup in Tampere.  (Photo by Arto Borg 2008)

Marcel Noack of Germany won men’s competition at Open Asian Championships 2008, playing an average score 32.56 at the difficult beton course of Chiang Mai in Thailand. Silver went to Marco Templin of Germany, two points behind the winner and one point ahead of bronze medalist Roger Cadosch of Switzerland.

The best Asian player, and therefore Asian Champion 2008, was Puttipunpalit Thanapol of Thailand, with average score 35.33 (ranking 8th in Open Championships including European players). Chia-Feng Chang of Taiwan took silver, with average 37.33. Bronze went to a new country in international minigolf scenes, Iran, as Karimian noshahr Hassan scored an average 37.67 to beat all experienced Japanese and Chinese players.

In women’s open championships Nicole Piechotta of Germany was in trouble against an excellently playing Chinese lady Zu Guo Cai. Piechotta took gold with a margin of 4 points only, with average 34.56 (round scores varying between 26 and 41). Chia-Chen Yang of Taiwan got bronze with average 36.33, 4 points ahead of Suzanne Schäppi of Switzerland in fourth place.

Zu Guo Cai of China was crowned as women’s Asian Champion 2008, Chia-Chen Yang of Taiwan got silver, and bronze went to Pei-Yi Ni of Taiwan with average 39.67. Numerous experienced Japanese players, including Yuki Koshimura, were left without medals this year.

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