KUALA LUMPUR: Hafiz Zainuddin and Ahmad Muaz Fishol led the way as Malaysian bowlers made their presence felt at the DIBC-Delta Open in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, last weekend.
Despite their outstanding performances, both Hafiz and Muaz narrowly missed out on the title to eventual winner Marc Custodio of the Philippines, finishing second and third respectively at the Dubai International Bowling Centre on Sunday.
Custodio clinched the title with an eight-game total of 1,837, winning by a narrow margin of 10 pins ahead of Hafiz, who scored 1,827, while Muaz settled for third after chalking up 1,824.
Syazirol Shamsuddin made three Malaysians in the top four after posting a 1,820 total.
"It's just not meant to be yet," said Hafiz as his quest for a first international title continued.
"I gave it my all, closing out the final game with a score of 241. Custodio needed a strike to secure the championship, and he achieved it.
"But it's okay. What's important is to never give up. I will strive and persevere until I achieve victory one day."
Muaz expressed pride in clinching a spot on the podium in his first competition of
the year.
"I had the opportunity to claim victory. However, I could not deliver connecting strikes in the tenth frame. Nonetheless, securing third place is not a bad way to start. I'll gladly accept it."
"This tournament boasted a competitive field, featuring several world champions and top bowlers from the Middle East. Our success here truly highlights the strength of the Malaysian team."
The other Malaysian bowlers who advanced to the top-14 included Wan Mohd Naqib Norazizan and 14-year-old prodigy from Sarawak, Ethan Damien Goh.
Naqib finished seventh with 1,722, while Ethan claimed the 12th spot with 1,619.