Women’s team deliver another silver

Malaysian bowling camp narrowly missed out on another gold medal at the Asian Games, when the women’s squad settled for silver in the team of six event yesterday in Palembang.

National keglers – Shalin Zulkilfi, Syaidatul Afifah Badrul Hamidi, Siti Safiyah Amirah Abdul Rahman, Esther Cheah, Sin Li Jane and Natasha Roslan – amassed a 24-game total of 8,149 pinfalls, finishing behind South Korea by 189 pins.

Taiwan took home the bronze with 7,969 pinfalls.

Team manager Maradona Chok admitted that a poor fifth game cost the team an opportunity to win Malaysia’s second gold medal at the JSC Bowling Centre.

When contacted, Maradona, who is also the Malaysia Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC) secretary-general, said: “It was a tough team event over nine hours on the lanes.

“The bowlers did their best, but they struggled a little in the fifth game. They couldn’t figure out the lane and that cost us dearly. It also gave the Koreans more confidence.”

On Wednesday, the women’s trio of Syaidatul Afifah, Siti Safiyah and Esther Cheah got the ball rolling for the Malaysian contingent at this year’s Asiad, when they won the country’s first gold medal.

This was followed by a silver medal from the men’s trio a day later, through Rafiq Ismail, Ahmad Muaz Fishol and Timmy Tan.

On the expectations ahead of the men’s team of six event today, Maradona said: “The men’s team event will be another close encounter and our team are hoping to prove that they can deliver as well.

“They are confident especially after their silver medal feat in the men’s trio on Thursday.”

The national body had initially targeted one gold medal for bowling.

At the Incheon edition in South Korea four years ago, Malaysia came home with four silver medals.