Sarawak’s Hero Bowling Team kicks off campaign in style

KUCHING (Jan 29): Defending champions Hero Bowling Team of Sarawak set the early pace at the Sarawak Hornbill Team Cup (SHTC) tenpin bowling championships that got underway at Megalanes Sarawak, Emart Batu Kawa on Wednesday.

They grabbed the early lead through the pair of Daniel Tan Yan Han and Bong Kihow in the doubles medium oil 42’ with a total of 1,754 pins over four games to collect 15 points.

Wipers Girls from Kuala Lumpur Ng Ai Shan and Ayra Deliza Mohd Kamarul Azizi scored 1,713 pins to settle for second. Aiden Lim Zen Tao-Muhd Hafiz Darwisy Azhlan of Penand Boys B finished third after they beat Musayyar Khalid-Abang Afiq Yazid Abang Azman of Sunway Megalanes 37-35 on a one-ball roll-off. Both pairs were tied on 1,700 after four games.

In the doubles long oil 49’, team captain cum manager Melvin Gilbert Gimang and Chong Jun Foo rolled 1,757 pins to finish fourth to contribute five points and put Hero Bowling in the driver’s seat with 20 points.

Amin Zulkarnain Zulkifli and Muhd Amin Symir Safri of Wipers Mixed from Kuala Lumpur won the event with 1,948 pins while Eldred Kho Yek Zhen-Ethan Damien Goh Chen Ming of MSNS-ABAS Sarawak 1 finished second on 1,842.

Penang Boys B, represented by Muhd Akif Darwish Dzulhakimy and Muhd Eikshan Mohd Erwan, ended up in third place on 1,787 pins.

Bong Kihow credited planning, teamwork and a crucial late decision for their victory on the 42-foot medium oil pattern. He said the team’s strategy paid off over the first three games, with the right ball motion and constant feedback from Melvin. However, a challenging transition in the final game forced a bold change.

“I switched to a ball I didn’t plan to use, and fortunately it worked,” he said, striking out to seal the win.

Bong described the result as a strong start to their title defence while stressing that tougher battles lie ahead.

Meanwhile, Amin Zulkarnain and Muhd Amin Symir regarded their win as a pleasant surprise. Admitting they arrived without high expectations on the tricky medium oil condition, the pair relied on calm execution and strong teamwork to deliver a consistent performance across the four-game format.

Muhd Amin Syamir said their focus was simply to stay relaxed, play their game and support each other throughout the event.

Amin Dzulkarnain described the win as a confidence booster, noting it was the first time the pair had achieved such success together.

Both bowlers expressed delight with their overall performance which exceeded their own expectations.

The duo will next turn their attention to the trios category, carrying forward the same composed approach.

They also praised the international-standard lanes and organisation at Megalanes Sarawak, adding that the victory marked their first podium finish of the year and a positive start to the season.

Nurul Ayunni Junaidi of Sabah stole the limelight when she rolled a perfect game in the doubles long oil 49ft pattern to earn herself a cash prize of RM1,000.