Taking on the World
Bowler Muaz aims to regain form and confidence in Mexico
PETALING JAYA: National bowler Ahmad Muaz Fishol plans to use the 54th QubicaAMF World Cup in Mexico to rediscover his form and confidence ahead of the World Championships in Las Vegas, United States, later this month.
His form has taken a dip since April, with early exits in the Thailand Open, Singapore Open and Macau Open. He also finished empty-handed in the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games in August.
This is in stark contrast to his early-season form, when he finished fifth at the Emir Cup in Doha, Qatar, in February and was Malaysia’s best performer after coming in 18th in the 380-player field Brunswick Euro Challenge in Munich, Germany a month later.
“The past few months have been really rough on me and I can’t let this go on any longer.
“This week is really important for me to set things up nicely before our biggest assign- ment of the year – the World Championships.
“I have stepped up my efforts after the SEA Games disappointment. I really hope to turn things around in Mexico this week,” said Muaz.
He has set himself a lofty target for the World Cup, which begins in Hermosillo, Mexico, today.
He wants to emulate the feat of Muhd Syafiq Ridhwan Abdul Malek, who became the first Malaysian to win the World Cup in 2012 in Wroclaw, Poland.
That would surely be the perfect tonic for Muaz ahead of the World Championships in the US.
Meanwhile, Siti Safiyah Amirah Abdul Rahman will carry Malaysia’s challenge in the women’s event in Mexico.
This will be Siti’s fourth World Cup appearance. This time, she will be seeking an early birthday cheer as she turns 27 on Nov 14.
Her best achievement was a third placing when Malaysia hosted the championships in Melaka in 2009.