KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC) has demonstrated that current performance takes precedence over past achievements in team selection.
This was evident as regular starters Timmy Tan and Ahmad Muaz Fishol were omitted from the squad for the Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships (ATBC) in Bangkok from Sept 14-26.
Despite being part of the men's team that secured Malaysia's first ATBC team gold in 15 years in Hong Kong last January, Timmy and Muaz have lost their spots to Izz Naqiuddin Putera Islahuddin and Shaqeem Izwan Teh Shahrul Hafiz Teh.
Rafiq Ismail, who clinched four gold medals in last year's edition, will lead the six-man squad.
He will be joined by Tun Hakim, Syafiq Ridhwan Abdul Malek, and Hafiz Zainuddin, all of whom have retained their places.
The women's team also see a notable absence in senior figure Esther Cheah, a double gold medallist in the 2019 edition.
However, with world champion Natasha Roslan and recently crowned PWBA Player of the Year Sin Li Jane at the helm, the squad certainly don't lack depth.
Gillian Lim, Nora Lyana Nastasia Norkamal, Nur Syazwani Sahar and Faten Najihah Ahmad Faik complete the formidable lineup.
Malaysia head to Bangkok aiming to reclaim the overall title they last won in 2019. Last year, they narrowly missed out to Singapore by a single gold medal, finishing with a 12-medal haul of four golds, five silvers, and three bronzes.
Singapore concluded their campaign with 5-3-3.
MTBC secretary-general Maradona Chok said the coaches have assembled the best squad available based on the players' international performances this year.
"Izz and Shaqeem have been rewarded for their creditable displays since the start of the year. Izz, in particular, impressed with a victory in the highly competitive Sonic Classic in Singapore in April," said Maradona.
"We have established a ranking based on each bowler's individual results, and Shaqeem has outperformed his seniors by coming in sixth.
"This shows the intensity of internal competition and shows that opportunities are always available for younger players to fight for their places."
Meanwhile, the national bowling team have received a significant boost after signing a deal with Hero Bowling, a new home-grown Malaysian bowling accessory brand manufacturer.
"This partnership is a testament to Hero Bowling's commitment to the growth and development of the bowling industry in Malaysia," said Maradona.