KUALA LUMPUR: Rafiq Ismail kicked off his ambitious bid to sweep all six gold medals at the Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships (ATBC) in Bangkok with a bang, clinching the men's singles gold.
Rafiq led Malaysia to a glorious 1-2-3 finish in the men's singles on Wednesday, topping the six-game contest with a sizzling 1,419 total, averaging 236.50 pinfalls, at Blu-O Rhythm & Bowl Ratchayothin — the same venue where he won the Thailand Open last month.
He secured victory by a 36-pin margin over second-placed Hafiz Zainuddin (1,383), while former AMF World Cup champion Syafiq Ridhwan Abdul Malek claimed bronze with a total of 1,370.
Australia's Jarrod Langford finished second overall with a 1,391 total, but as Australia were competing as an invited team, Hafiz was awarded second place.
Rafiq, who took silver in the Hong Kong edition last year, could not hide his delight after securing his first-ever singles gold in the ATBC, a feat he hailed as a major boost for his six-gold medal mission.
Rafiq said he wants to raise the bar after a stellar show in Hong Kong last year, which saw him bagged gold in the trios, team, All-Events and Masters.
"I came to Bangkok aiming for a clean sweep. As ambitious as it sounds, I know it's not impossible. Now that I've won the opening event, it's game on!" a jubilant Rafiq told Timesport.
"This is my first singles gold in an ATBC edition. The only event I haven't won is the doubles, and that's next. I need to keep winning to stay on track for my goal."
Rafiq is extra motivated this week as he wants to make his parents proud, especially his father, who was admitted to hospital with a lung-related issue on Tuesday.
"This win is for both Ayah (father) and Ibu (mother). Ayah was hospitalised yesterday. He's been struggling with his health lately, and the hospital has almost become a second home for him. Ibu has been taking care of him," said Rafiq.
"But I know Ayah and Ibu will always be happy whenever I win. I hope this victory will give Ayah strength as he battles his illness."
Three other three Malaysian representatives, Izz Naqiuddin Putera Islahuddin (1,305), Shaqeem Izwan Teh Shahrul Hafiz Teh (1,183) and Tun Hakim Tun Hasnul Azam (1,157), finished 14th, 50th, 61st respectively in the 119-man standings.
The women's singles title went to Singapore's Daphne Tan, who amassed 1,382 pinfalls to beat Lara Posadas (1,381) and South Korea's Baek Seung Ja (1,340) for the gold.
Nora Lyana Nastasia Norkamal was Malaysia's top finisher, placing sixth with a 1,301 total.
The other five Malaysian women's players were Gillian Lim (1,289 — eighth), Nur Syazwani Sahar (1,278 — 10th), Natasha Roslan (1,266 — 11th), Sin Li Jane (1,198 — 27th) and Faten Najihah Ahmad Faik (1,187 — 28th).