Girls set to break gold medal jinx

MALAYSIA are on course towards ending their 11-year gold medal drought in the girls’ team event at the Asian Youth Championships at Coronado Lanes in Manila.

Yesterday, the quartet of Nora Lyana Nastasia Norkamal, Nur Amirah Auni Azman, Faten Najihah Ahmad Faik and Nur Ameerahusna Aznel posted a combined 2,505 total in the first block on medium oil for a 36-pin lead over second-place Singapore, while defending champions South Korea are third on 2,390.

Malaysia last won the girls’ team title in the 2006 edition in Perth.

Ammerahusna was the most impressive yesterday with a three-game series of 717 pinfalls compared to Faten’s 651, Nur Amirah’s 602 and Nora’s 545.

Team manager Maradona Chok was pleased with his girls’ team.

“The bowlers were composed and held their nerves throughout the first block. They managed to overcome the tricky medium oiling today and this is good.” said Maradona yesterday.

“Tomorrow, they will play on long oil and it is a tough pattern. They need to continue their momentum and focus on overcoming the lanes,”

In the boys’ team, Malaysia, comprising Arif Iskandar, Hafiz Zainuddin, Tun Ameerul Luqman Al-Hakim Tun Hasnul Azam and Brandon Ting, are ninth on 2,304.

Korea lead with 2,667, followed by Indonesia (2,580) and Bahrain (2,558). Ajitpal Singh