Humid conditions didn't bother the Open Bowlers

(Report by Tony Lim and YK Choo)

The humid condition caused by the air conditioning system did not dampen the spirit of the bowlers; instead the boys and girls bowling in the open division simply swept aside this minor glitch to scorch the lanes with scintillating high scores in almost every game.

Tournament officials who were already overwhelmed with the influx of entries had to deal with more tasks by announcing on the P.A System every time a bowler achieves seven consecutive strikes. The pace was so frantic that in the end, 24 bowlers in the boys open division hit above the 200 average mark but only the top 20 boys open will make the cut for the next round.

Ahmad Aidil bin Hj Ahmad Halim of Sekolah Sukan Banda Penawar scored an upset by taking the lead in the field of 60 boys open bowlers with a sensational average of 230 for the first round of 8 games and all his games were above the 200 mark to secure 1845 pinfalls. 14 year old, Aidil who is only in form 2 was cool throughout the tournament and was hitting his target with remarkable consistency and had a high game of 290 in the third game.

Syed Mohd. Hafiz bin Syed Hussein of Johor was also in fine fettle to average 226 with a total of 1815 pinfalls. Hafiz was so close to his dream of hitting the perfect game on the first game but nerves got the better of him on the 11th throw hitting 8 pins and had to settle for a 288 game. But he also had games of 268 and 249 with a blemish on the card coming on the third game scoring a poor 158 game.

The bowlers were quick to adjust to the lane conditions with most of the Sukma coaches turning up in full force for this Sukma games simulation by adjusting their charges lines and ball selections after the practice throws. After which it was almost like auto pilot for the bowlers who occasionally needed to do a little adjustment to line up their shots. In terms of ball selection, most of the bowlers had chosen the right equipment judging from the ball reaction and pin carry they had when their balls hit the pocket.

Muhammad Syahmi Rizuan Md Yusof of Terengganu was another surprise in the pack when he took the third spot with a 221 average for a total of 1774 pinfalls. Although the third spot could be deemed as a minor placing but for Terengganu Sukma Team, it was a major force in their preparation especially when Mohd Syazwan is leading the Boys Graded category with an average of 212. This goes to show that Terengganu could be a force to be reckon with in the coming Sukma.

Mohd. Amirul Che Mat of Kedah, Shin Chern Yew of Perak, Kovarman a/l Arikrishnan of Melaka, Mohd. Aizudeen Mustakil of Selangor, Muhd. Rafiq bin Ismail of Kuala Lumpur and Muhd. Afnan Shafiq Jaafar of Pahang finished in fourth to ninth placing respectively to even up the field of contenders for the title. This is by far the most even field seen in the circuit.

However with many of the top junior bowlers who are in the National Youth Team not participating but eligible to play in the Sukma in Melaka, the competition will certainly be keen and definitely there will be no certainties in any event of the Sukma games.

In the girls open category, Fatin Haswani of Penang leads after completing the first round of 8 games.

Simply fantastic! That’s how one can describe Fatin Haswani performance in the girls open division when she score an astounding 216 average over 8 games in the Melaka Leg of the National Junior Tenpin Bowling Circuit. With the spotlight on the more fancied girls, Fatin quietly sneak under the radar to post steal the limelight.
She had seven games above the 200 mark with a total of 1728 pinfalls to lead by 115 pins from her nearest competitor Nur Syamimi Supardi of Perak who had a 201 average when she accumulated 1613 pinfalls while Hanan Fateha Binti Rozaimee of Kuala Lumpur taking third place with 1598 pinfalls.

The two training camps in Melaka prior to this event did a lot of good for the Penang Team. Not only were they more adapted to the lanes but their mental attitude was also more positive and, if they keep progressing at this rate, Penang will surely be out to redeem themselves in this Sukma after lying in the doldrums for some time.

Penang who dethroned Selangor as the overall champion in 2000 when it was held on home soil never kept the momentum going and in the following years their haul of gold medals fell and they returned empty handed in the last two Sukma editions.

Perhaps with all the effort being put into the preparation of the team and sparing no effort in their quest for the golden path, they should be rewarded this time around.

Results can be downloaded from the "Downloads" box on the left.