Ayra Nur Jehan sets the pace in Girls Under-12 division

(Report by Tony Lim)

Boys Under-12 Top 3

Girls Under-12 Top 3

Two time winner of the Under-12 Girls division, Ayra Nur Jehan of SK Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor once again took the lead and look set to add a third title to her credit when she registered a total of 1034 pinfalls to average 172 for the six game block.

Nurin Nabilah bt Roslan of Negeri Sembilan had to settle for second placing with 943 pinfalls while Shasreen Nadia Teh bt Sharul Hafiz Teh of Kuala Lumpur Megalanes taking the third spot with 922 pinfalls.

At the moment Ayra is the hot favorite for the title and she showed her mettle by taking the lead with a massive margin form her nearest competitor. Although she was frustrated by the numerous pins standing whenever she delivered her ball to the pocket, she kept her composure by sparing and just hanging in there throughout the event.

“I have been practicing quite a bit and part of my routine was to pick up as many spares as I could and that came in handy when everybody was facing the same problem so I just stuck to my game plan by sparing and hoped that the strikes came.” said Ayra.

“I saw Siti Safiyah Amirah played in the World Cup last year in Melaka and was very impress with her composure and style and hope that one day I will be able to don the National colors. I know that everyone in the elite team have put in a lot of hard work and sacrifices to get where they are and I am prepared to go to that length to achieve my aspirations.”

Afiq Irsyaduddin bin Baharuddin of Perak took the pole position in the Boys Under-12 with 1111 pinfalls for a six game average of 185 while Muhd Nur Hasarizq Zainal Abidin of Selangor came in second with 1081 pinfalls with Ahamd Danial Aizat Najib of Kelantan on third place with 957 pinfalls.

In the Girls Open division, Nur Syamimi Supardi of Perak took command of the section with 1520 pinfalls to average 190 for the eight game block while Nur Shamira Abdul Manaf of Megalanes Shah Alam took the second spot with 1465 pinfalls with Nazira Bt Zakaria of Pahang taking the third spot on 1456 pinfalls.

Muhd Fazrin bin Khairul Faizi was the only bowler to break the 200 mark in the Boys Open division when he scored games of 206, 165, 217, 244, 154, 191, 227 and 235 for a total of 1639 pinfalls for an average of 204 for the eight game block while compatriot Teh Lit Qing had to settle for second place with 1590 pinfalls after falling behind on the last game with 160 low game. Qalif Adnor bin Adam did well to secure third spot with 1587 pinfalls to average 198.

In the Boys Graded division, Abdul Basit bin Mohd of Bandar Penawar Sports School took command on settling down, scoring games of 200, 226, 206, 239, 195, 185, 205 and 194 for a total of 1650 pinfalls to average 206 for the eight games block and now needs to keep the momentum going in the next round to secure the top spot for an advantage in the finals.

Students from Bandar Penawar Sports School have been doing well in the National Junior Circuit this year and one of the primary reason is the commitment of the school’s coaches who have been constantly upgrading their knowledge and coaching skills which augurs well for the school’s vision of producing top athletes.

Edmund John Sibert of Kuala Lumpur sprang a surprise when he took the second place with a score of 1523 pinfalls to average 190 and that could well be his best showing to date while Mohd Shafiq Aiman bin Saharuddin of Kelantan settle for third with 1519 pinfalls.

Although most of the SUKMA bound bowlers from most of the states were noticeably absent from this event, it did not steal the luster which has always seen keen competition and consistent number of participants which numbered about 300 in this circuit.