Boost for Muaz in Texas

bowler Ahmad Muaz Fishol can breathe a huge sigh of relief after finishing fifth in the PBA Tour's Lubbock Sports Open in Texas on Sunday.

Following a slow start to the season, Muaz did well, when he amassed a 22-game total of 5,269 pinfalls.

It was, however, rather unfortunate for the 25-year-old, who missed out on the top four stepladder final by just 41 pins.

Teammate Rafiq Ismail, who finished third at the Greater Jonesboro Open in Arkansas last week, was the other Malaysian who qualified for the match play round, reeling in 5,026 pinfalls.

New kid on the block, Tun Hakim Tun Hasnul Azam, and seasoned campaigner Alex Liew, failed to make the top 16, when they were knocked out in the top 40 Cashers' round.

Chris Barnes of the United States clinched the title after seeing off compatriot Jakob Butturff by one pin (207-206) in the final.

For Muaz, the fifth place finish in the prestigious PBA Tour came at the right time, as he gears up for the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games in August.

“I am feeling gutted not to have made top four, but a fifth place in the PBA Tour is not too bad either,” said Muaz, who came in third at the World Cup last year.

“My target was a top 10 in either one of the two tournaments we played in, so this is definitely better.

“I didn’t bowl well last week (Greater Jonesboro Open), finishing 78th, so it feels good to be able to bounce back.

“A performance like this, is definitely a huge boost for me, especially with the Asian Games just two months away.”

Early this year, Muaz suffered a slight dip in form, missing out on three European Bowling Tour tournaments, and only managing a 24th place finish at the Thailand Open in April.

The national bowlers will go on a short break for Hari Raya, before reporting for the Asian Games centralised training camp on June 19.