20th September, Kuala Lumpur: A superb display of calm and control in the tense atmosphere of live television, enabled 24 year-old Michael Little from Newcastle to overcome two of the world's best bowlers and strike Gold for Australia.

In his debut outing at World Championships, Little defeated 1988 AMF Bowling World Cup champion Mohd Khalid Al Qubaisi from the UAE in the first match of the stepladder Grand final with a 179-174 game. The single-game match started with a Strike in the first frame to each contestant, but then developed into a mix of opened frames.

The contestants in the Women's Grand final played earlier in the day also had difficulty adjusting to the lane conditions, with similar low-scoring results.

Little then went on to face Matchplay winner and one of the world's highest profile amateurs, Tim Mack from the USA, in the two-game Grand final match.

It was a true giant-killer story, with Mack determined to take the Masters Gold after Silver medal performances in Singles, Teams and All Events earlier in the Championship, while the Australian team had so far narrowly missed medals.

Both bowlers began strongly in the first game with a 1st frame Strike, but Little then split and opened in the 2nd frame. When Mack faltered with a Foul in Frame 4, and opened in the 7th frame, the pressure was really evident, with Mack taking a long concourse walk to regain his composure. Little surged to the lead to finish 205-172 in the first game of the match.

Little maintained his cool, recovering strongly from a gutter ball in the 8th frame of the second game with a spare that he later described as a "lucky shot" to finish 225-203, and an overall 430-375 victory.

He admitted after the match he was still "in shock" after his decisive win over the favoured Mack, saying his next major goal on the international stage would likely be the next World Championships. His employment as a Sales representative gives little time, or sufficient financial freedom for Little, or his 1999 Bowling World Cup champion wife, Amanda Bradley, to travel extensively overseas to Open tournaments.

There have been almost 600 competitors from 65 countries competing at the 48-lane Pyramid Megalanes Centre in Kuala Lumpur since 9 September. The Championships will conclude this evening with a gala Victory Banquet at the luxurious Sunway Lagoon Resort, adjacent to the Championship venue.

Michael Little's win of the prestigious Masters event is the epitome achievement for an athlete - and Australia - with the Tenpin Bowling World Championships held only once every four years. The Women's division was won by Diandra Hyman of the USA, with Lisa Clutario from The Philippines and Lee Eun Ock from Korea taking the Silver and Bronze medals.

For further information, please contact WTBA Media Director, Lynne Clay at lynneclay@wtba.ws, media@mtbc.org.myor via the World Championships Media Room Phone +60 37492 0902.