Chieh-Yu Chou and Jung-Lin Chang (Photo courtesy of Takao Takayama - JPBA)
Jung-Lin Chang and Chieh-Yu Chou have won their respective divisions in the 45th annual All-Japan Championship. Chang battled through a field of 96 men while Chou bested 64 women.
In the Championship Rounds Chang defeated Atsushi Kikushima of Japan (11-3), Ramil Gallego of the Philippines (11-10), and Chiah-Chen Hsieh of Taipei (11-5). In the rounds from last 16 onward he really came into his game and won some very tough matches.
He first had to tackle three-time World Jumior Champion Pin-Yi Ko (11-8), then Che-Wei Fu of Taipei (11-9). He then had to face yet another great player from his own homeland in the form of Ching-Shun Yang to be able to own the tile. He faced down Yang in style and with an 11-7 win claimed his victory.
Chieh-Yu Chou is a repeat winner in the women's division. She won this event just two years ago and has won the Amway Cup twice, once in 2009 and again this past spring. During the finals run in this latest effort she she first took down the great Shin-Mei Liu 9-2 and then Japanese player K. Yukawa (9-4) before facing another Japanese player in the form of Li Jia. She defeated Jia 9-5 before marching into the arena ready to face down Ho-Yun Tan of Taipei for the final match.
And she handed Tan a snowball. Chou won 9-0 to take her latest title and leave no room for doubt as to whom deserved the crown.
