KUALA LUMPUR: Bowlers Ridhar Rahman Riza Abdullah and Abdul Azizul Dazmeen Azizul Hamid were crowned champions of the inaugural Apex Doubles Challenge, which concluded at the Megamall Bowling Centre in Perai, Penang on Sunday.
Ridhar-Azizul took home RM10,000 in prize money after securing the top spot with a combined total of 2,340 pinfalls.
The four-day tournament ended in dramatic fashion, with the winners and runners-up separated by a razor-thin margin of just two pins.
Second place went to Zharfan Shahidi and former national youth bowler Sushanor Sihanor, while former national champion Kang Bo Long and Zarif Nazmi Zakaria amassed 2,289 pinfalls to complete the podium.
Zharfan-Sushanor and Bo Long-Zarif earned RM6,000 and RM4,000, respectively.
"We are grateful to win the tournament. It was nerve-wracking because we only managed to do it by two pins," said Ridhar, who was the runner-up at last year's National Youth Championships.
Azizul, meanwhile, plans to buy new equipment with the prize money.
"I want to reinvest this prize money to get new bowling balls and equipment so I can compete even more strongly in future tournaments," said Azizul.
The Apex Doubles Challenge was organised by Apex Sports & Entertainment, co-founded by former national bowling stars Aaron Kong and Alisha Iman Cheong Abdullah.
The event also received endorsement from national bowler Nora Lyana Nastasia Norkamal, who played an ambassadorial role for the tournament.
"As former national players, my partner and I felt that we should give back to the sport we love.
"The best way to do that was by organising tournaments like the Apex Doubles Challenge," said Aaron, who won a gold medal at the 2006 Doha Asian Games."
"There are many talented bowlers in this country but opportunities to gain exposure to high-level competition are limited.
"Our goal is to provide a platform for these players to hone their skills, while also giving them a chance to win lucrative cash prizes."
"The total prize pool was RM74,000. After the success of this event, we are motivated to host more tournaments in the coming years.
"Hopefully, we can also organise international-level competitions.
"Some have asked why we chose a doubles format for this event. Bowling tournaments are usually singles-based, so we wanted to bring something different. "Doubles events are more exciting because they foster teamwork and mutual motivation.
"As a result, the atmosphere at the venue for this event was lively and energetic," added Aaron.