Latest news with #IBFWorldCup
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Heartbreak for bowler Gillian at US Open
GILLIAN Lim came agonisingly close to a stepladder finals berth at the US Women's Open, but the debutant ultimately fell short by just 127 pins after completing 56 gruelling games in Lincoln, Nebraska. The 26-year-old finished seventh overall with 11,784 pinfalls, including 14 wins from 24 match play games across three rounds of match play. She contested eight games on Sunday, followed by two additional rounds totaling 16 games on Monday. It marked her strongest performance yet at a PWBA major, reinforcing her emergence on the prestigious professional circuit. Compatriot Natasha Roslan, the IBF World Cup winner in January, also held her own in a tough field, placing 14th with 11,628 pinfalls and a 12-12 win-loss record in match play. For their efforts, Gillian pocketed US$8,600 (RM36,500) while Natasha took home US$5,600 (RM23,800). The final five advancing to Tuesday's stepladder finals at Sun Valley Lanes are Americans Jordan Snodgrass (11,988), Lauren Russo (11,957), Crystal Elliot (11,948), Maryssa Carey (11,931), and Singapore's New Hui Fen (11,911). The US Women's Open marked Gillian's seventh and final appearance of the season. It was commendable nevertheless, as she recorded four top-15 finishes. Her seventh-place finish at the US Open followed a strong run of results, including a joint-fifth placing at the Rock 'n Roll Open and ninth at the Bowlers Journal Waterloo Open. Her other standout performance came at the PWBA Topeka Open, the season opener, where she finished 15th. "For sure, there are lots of positives to take away and improve on. Slowly but surely, I'm getting there. I've learned a lot this week too," said Gillian. "I definitely want to return next year. The experience has been really valuable, and I feel there's still so much room to grow. The PWBA format is quite different from the Open events in Asia — everything from the lane conditions to the structure and intensity is on another level." Gillian, who achieved a rare Malaysia Open–National Championships double last year, will resume competition at the Thailand Open next month.
New Straits Times
13-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Rafiq bowls to Singapore Open victory, ends string of near-misses
KUALA LUMPUR: After a string of painful near-misses this year, bowler Rafiq Ismail finally found redemption by clinching the men's Open title at the Singapore Open on Friday. Rafiq, a former world champion, displayed nerves of steel to overcome former national teammate Megat Zaqrul Haiqal Mega Zairudin in the stepladder finals, and it was nothing short of a southpaw showdown to remember. Despite three open frames, Rafiq mounted a dramatic comeback in the second game, edging Megat 193-190 to seal the victory after having earlier forced a decider with a convincing 243-221 win. It was a long-awaited triumph for Rafiq, who had finished runner-up at both the IBF World Cup and PBA Scorpion Championship earlier this year. The Singapore Open crown marked his third at the event, adding to earlier wins in 2017 and 2019. He was also third in 2013 and again last year. "I told myself to never give up until the very last frame. I had a few open frames early on and was quite down, but self-talk really helped. I just kept repeating positive things to myself to stay focused," said Rafiq. "This win is a massive relief. I had lost in a few stepladder finals earlier this year, so to finally break through means a lot. Winning the Singapore Open is really special. It's one of the most prestigious titles, and I'm very grateful." He pocketed S$25,000 (RM82,750) for the win, while Megat took home S$12,000 (RM39,720). Rafiq had booked his spot in the final by overpowering Syazirol Shamsuddin 279-222 in the semi-final, with the latter having earlier knocked out home favourite Nigel Enriquez 289-206. Malaysia looked poised for a title from the start, with three representatives making the top four cut after the six-game roll-off – Megat topped with 1,490 pinfalls, followed by Rafiq (1,457), Syazirol (1,406) and Nigel (1,395). Meanwhile, rising star Lavinia Kho came agonisingly close to completing a Malaysian double in the women's Open but was denied by Singapore's Arriane Tay in the final, going down 245-176, 244-193. Lavinia, who announced herself with a breakthrough victory at the Malaysia Open in 2023, had entered the stepladder finals as the top seed after leading the roll-off with 1,368, ahead of Arriane (1,333), Nur Irdina Hazly (1,325) and Jermaine Seah (1,307). She settled for S$6,000 (RM19,860), while the defeat also dashed Malaysia's hopes of a clean sweep of the men's and women's titles — a feat last achieved by Adrian Ang and Sin Li Jane in 2013.
The Star
08-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Rafiq aims for home title after recent heartaches
PETALING JAYA: Asian bowling ace Rafiq Ismail (pic) is determined to strike it right at home in the ongoing Malaysian Open after falling short in three consecutive finals over seven months. Rafiq has already endured his share of heartbreak, starting with a runner-up finish at the Malaysian Closed in October. That was followed by a defeat to China's Du Chaojian at the IBF World Cup in Hong Kong in January.
The Hindu
02-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Kishan's story — from giving up cricket to finding success in bowling
R. Kishan gave up his cricket dreams to carve out a name for himself in a less popular sport, bowling. His decision has paid dividends, as Kishan — one of the nation's top bowlers — won the first South Zone Tenpin bowling tournament in Bangalore on Thursday. ''Everyone plays cricket. I wanted to try something new,' Bengaluru lad Kishan told The Hindu after his title win. What started as a way to pass time after missing tuition classes soon turned into a serious passion, ultimately leading him to represent India in the prestigious Asian Games and 2025 IBF World Cup. His start in bowling came when Kishan casually entered a local tournament at the age of 16. Much to his surprise, he finished in the top six. Impressed by his raw skills, state-level bowlers encouraged him to participate in State-level tournaments. The turning point came when Australian coach Andrew Crowley noticed his potential. Under Crowley's mentorship, Kishan adopted the two-handed O'Campo technique, resembling the style of three-time PBA World Championship winner, Jason Belmonte. The shift in technique helped Kishan secure many State and National titles. He went to represent India at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, and won podium finishes in international tournaments in Hong Kong and the Philippines. He also finished a creditable ninth at the Bowling World Cup. Being a student at the time, Kishan had to make a difficult choice between academics and his passion. 'I didn't get permission to attend any more bowling tournaments after 2019, so I just quit my university,' the 25-year-old said. The lack of support from educational institutions is still is a sour memory for Kishan, but he believes that things are changing now. Today, Kishan balances his career in construction with his love for bowling. 'Before, I only used to bowl. Now I have to work. I am trying to pursue full-time bowling for sure. But before that, I have to settle my career. 'If I really need to make it big in the bowling field, I have to travel a lot and play only international contests to make enough money. I get calls from youngsters asking if I can teach them. That keeps the fire alive,' Kishan said. Kishan strongly believes that more awareness and tournaments, especially for women, can take the sport further in India. 'In this tournament, we had 85 men and just nine women. That needs to change. 'I hope to see more amateur events and better representation in India. Half of the people of this nation do not even know that something like bowling exists. Small regional tournaments are necessary to create awareness,' he said.
