KUALA LUMPUR: Hafiz Zainuddin and Rafiq Ismail have made a strong start in their bid to end the Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships (ATBC) on a high note, leading the pack after the opening block of the men's Masters competition today.
Hafiz topped the 16-man standings with a total of 1,932 pins, while Rafiq secured third place with 1,813 pins. South Korea's Park Dong Hyuk split the Malaysian duo in second place with 1,842 pins.
With eight games remaining, the top three bowlers with the highest 16-game total will advance to tomorrow's stepladder finals.
The Masters category features a round-robin match-play format, where both Hafiz and Rafiq excelled by winning five out of eight matches.
Each victory awards a bonus of 10 pins, boosting their total scores by an additional 50 pins.
Hafiz aims to add another gold medal to his impressive collection, having already secured his maiden ATBC victory in the men's trios event alongside Rafiq and Syafiq Ridhwan Abdul Malek.
He has also claimed silver medals in singles, All-Events (both won by Rafiq), and the team competition.
For Rafiq, defending his Masters title provides ample motivation. He first won gold in this event in 2016 in Bangkok and reclaimed it last year in Hong Kong.
Malaysia have three other representatives in the competition: Tun Hakim Tun Hasnul Azam, Syafiq Ridhwan Abdul Malek, and Izz Naqiuddin Putera Islahuddin.
These bowlers will need to put in exceptional performances to have a chance of making the top three cut.
Currently, Hakim sits in seventh place with 1,682 pins, followed by Syafiq (1,679) and Izz (1,657).
Regardless of the outcome in the men's and women's Masters events, Malaysia have already secured their position as overall champions of the tournament.
With an unassailable lead in the medal standings, Malaysia have accumulated six gold, five silver and two bronze medals.
Singapore trail in second place with three gold and one silver medals.