Wednesday November 25, 2009
Teen kegler Yusuf laughing all the way to the bank
PETALING JAYA: Bowler Yusuf Abdul Raof was down in the dumps when the Malaysian contingent had to withdraw at the 11th hour from the Asian Youth Games in Singapore last July due to the A (H1N1) flu situation.
But five months later, the 17-year-old is laughing all the way to the bank after bagging the Selangor Super Classic title in Shah Alam.
Bowling them over: Yusuf Abdul Raof upstaged the national bowlers to win the Selangor Super Classic title. Yusuf, the 2008 Sukma (Malaysia Games) singles gold medallist, did it in style by finishing ahead of a field of national bowlers at the Ole Ole Super Bowl last Sunday.
The Kuala Lumpur bowler topped the 10-game round-robin competition to enter the step-ladder Finals as the top seed on 2,242. Also in the Finals were national elite bowlers Alex Liew (2202), Mohd Aizudeen (2175) and another national squad member, Aaron Kong (2144).
And Yusuf, who bowled with a five-pin handicap against the national bowlers, went on to beat Aaron (180-212, 172-166) in the final to claim the winner’s cheque of RM20,000.
Top Malaysian female bowler Shalin Zulkifli just missed out on the Finals in fifth place after the round-robin competition.
The other national bowlers in the fray were national champion Adrian Ang, Daniel Lim, Syafiq Ridhwan and Zatil Iman.
Yusuf, who aspires to become a pilot, was pleased with his triumph and said that it had given him a huge confidence boost in his efforts to make headway in a bowling career.
“I never expect to come out on top in the company of national bowlers,” said Yusuf, who is in the midst of sitting for his SPM examinations.
“This is my biggest win and the first time I have won in a senior competition.
“It certainly made up for not being able to go to Singapore for the Asian Youth Games, which would have been my first international outing.”
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