KUALA LUMPUR: Rafiq Ismail led the way as four national bowlers cleared the preliminary hurdle in the men’s singles competition at the IBF World Championships on Tuesday.
Rafiq, 28, chasing a second world singles title, put himself firmly in contention after comfortably making the top-32 cut with a six-game total of 1,411 at Kaitak Sports Park in Kowloon.
He was joined by Hafiz Zainuddin, who finished 18th with 1,351 pinfalls, as well as debutant Danial Abu Samah (1,338) and Syazirol Shamsuddin (1,329), who placed 22nd and 26th respectively in the 168-man field.
Hazim Alihanafiah (1,295) and Izz Naqiuddin Putera Islahuddin (1,286) saw their campaigns end after finishing 43rd and 50th.
Sweden’s Jesper Svensson – the 13-time PBA Tour winner famed for his two-handed delivery – topped qualifying with a brilliant 1,497 total, averaging 249.50, ahead of South Korea‘s Kim Kyung Min (1,455) and Denmark’s Nicolas Carter (1,442).
It was a tough day for regional rivals Singapore, who failed to get any of their six bowlers into Round 2 – a stark contrast to Kuwait 2023, where Darren Ong and Jaris Goh sealed a 1-2 finish.
Malaysia, meanwhile, produced one of the day’s standout team performances.
Alongside Sweden, they are the only nation to advance four bowlers into the top-32 – a boost to their medal prospects when Round 2 resumes on Thursday.
The top 32 will be split into four groups of eight, with each bowler playing seven round-robin matches.
Wins are worth three points, while draws earn one point apiece.
Only the group winners progress to the semi-finals and subsequently the gold-medal match, all on the same day.
Malaysia have won the men’s singles gold only once, courtesy of Rafiq, who triumphed in Hong Kong in 2018.
Action resumes Wednesday with the women’s singles qualifying, where defending champion Natasha Roslan and runner-up Sin Li Jane will look to secure early passage into the next round.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
