Australia has claimed the overall winners’ trophies on the final day of the Asia Pacific Championships but will now turn its attention firmly to next year’s World Championships.

The host nation clinched only one of its four gold medal chances today, but completed the 15-nation biannual tournament with eight medals from as many disciplines; winning two gold, five silver and a bronze medal, to reaffirm its position as one of the world’s genuine bowls superpowers.

In the final afternoon, the blue-ribbon singles final was run and won, with Malaysia earning a clean sweep of the discipline.

It was always going to be a difficult task for the host nation, with Brett Wilkie pitted against former world number one Safuan Said and Kelsey Cottrell up against world number five Sita Zalina Binti Ahmad.

In the men’s singles, Wilkie faced steep competition in the current world number three Said, who picked up 4 on the fifth end and took the rest in his stride.

Wilkie picked up a two on the fifteenth end to put himself within one shot but failed to score for the remainder of the match whilst the world number three piled on eight straight shots to take the gold by nine shots 21-12.

While in the women’s event, Cottrell got off to a flying start, picking up 4 on the first end and maintaining the lead until the thirteenth end before Ahmad staged her come-back.

Five of the next seven ends were won by the Malaysian powerhouse, as Cottrell tried valiantly to hold off the attack, with Ahmad prevailing 20-16.

Australia’s hard work throughout the tournament did not go unrewarded however, with the green and gold nation claiming both the overall men and women’s trophies.

The powerful showing on the international stage was a step above the nation’s 2009 Kuala Lumpur effort, in which it took two gold, two silver and three bronze.

Click here for full results from the Asia Pacific Championships.

Men’s overall country rankings:

1. Australia, 66 points
2. New Zealand, 59 points
3. Fiji, 53 points

Women’s overall country rankings:

1. Australia, 56 points
2. New Zealand, 53 points
3. Philippines, 42 points

Men’s singles

GOLD                                    MALAYSIA (Safuan Bin Said)

SILVER                                  AUSTRALIA (Brett Wilkie)

BRONZE                               FIJI  (Ratish Lal) & CHINA (Terence Lee)

Women’s singles

GOLD                                    MALAYSIA (Siti Zalina Binti Ahmad)

SILVER                                  AUSTRALIA (Kelsey Cottrell)

BRONZE                               NORFOLK ISLAND (Carmen Anderson) & FIJI (Lita Tikoisuva)

Men’s pairs

GOLD                                    NEW ZEALAND

SILVER                                  AUSTRALIA

BRONZE                               CANADA & FIJI

Women’s pairs

GOLD                                    NEW ZEALAND

SILVER                                  PHILIPPINES

BRONZE                               AUSTRALIA & MALAYSIA

Men’s triples

GOLD                                    FIJI

SILVER                                  AUSTRALIA

BRONZE                               USA & NEW ZEALAND

Women’s triples

GOLD                                    AUSTRALIA

SILVER                                  PHILIPPINES

BRONZE                               SINGAPORE & NEW ZEALAND

Men’s fours

GOLD                                    AUSTRALIA

SILVER                                  NEW ZEALAND

BRONZE                               CANADA & MALAYSIA

Women’s fours

GOLD                                    NEW ZEALAND

SILVER                                  AUSTRALIA

BRONZE                               JAPAN & MALAYSIA

Caption: The Australian team in formation after claiming the overall winners trophies at the Asia Pacific Championships.