KUALA LUMPUR: An in-form Nur Hazirah Ramli has been rewarded with a spot to represent Malaysia at the inaugural IBF Youth World Cup in Lima, Peru from Jan 19-26.
Hazirah, 20, has been on a roll lately and had just won the Penang Pesta International Bowling Championships in Prai on Monday, making it two victories in a short span of four days.
She followed up on her earlier triumph last Friday, where she won the GenZ (Under-25) category of the Junior International All-Stars.
It was her fifth international title of the year, having also won the youth division of the Malaysia Open, Thailand Open, and Kuala Lumpur Open.
She was also the runner-up at the Philippines Open and National Championship.
For the boys' division, the nod was given to national youth champion Megat Zaqrul Haiqal Megat Zairudin.
Like Hazirah, Zaqrul too swiftly justified his selection by winning the boys' Open crown at the Penang Pesta.
Zaqrul was also the boys' Open champion of the Singapore Open earlier this year.
Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC) secretary-general Maradana Chok said Megat and Hazirah truly deserved their call-ups by being the best-performing youth bowlers.
"The MTBC selection committee approved the recommendations of its coaching panel to select Megat and Hazirah early last week itself, and they wasted no time in proving that the coaches were right to pick them," said Maradona.
"In Hazirah's case, she won not just one, but two titles in such a short period."
Maradona, however, was quick to point out that a mammoth task awaits Megat and Hazirah at the World Cup, where both players must first survive a grueling qualifier comprising 18 games over three days before the top 16 advance to the second stage.
"There will be two more stages of cuts before the top four semi-finals. There will be a bronze medal match as well. So the losing semifinalists are not guaranteed a medal.
"You have to be consistent as the scores are carried forward. You can't afford to have a bad day.
"It's going to be tough, but I believe they have what it takes to do well there. They are both fighters."