4th July, Hong Kong, China: 2024 IBF World Youth Team gold medalist, Nur Hazirah Ramli of Malaysia and Nasser Alkandar of Kuwait topped the Women's and Men's Open Stage 1 Masters finals of the 48th Hong Kong International Open Bowling Championships at Top Bowl on Friday.
Charmaine Chang of Singapore got off to a cracking start rolling 277 in her opening game to lead Nur Hazira by 11 pins. A second Malaysian, Puteri Nurul Dini and Cherie Tan of Singapore also started well with 256 and 255 in their opener.
Nur Hazirah followed it up with 257 in her second game to take over the running as Chang did well with 245 to trail the Malaysian by a single pin. A second Singaporean, Colleen Pee moved up to third, four pins ahead of Nurul Dini in fourth.
Nurul Dini downed 267 and 246 to lead for the next two games. Pee trailed in second and Nur Hazirah slipped down to third. A third Malaysian, Anis Hannahi Romzi, who had lines of 253, 232, 255 and 245, fired a big game of 278 to surge into the lead.
Nur Hazirah Ramli winning the Women's Open Stage 1 finals
Pee and Nurul Dini shared second spot with several Singaporean beginning to make headways. Nurul regained the lead after the sixth game as Nur Hazirah bounced back with a big game of 268 to take up second spot. Pee took the lead after the seventh game but Nur Hazirah ended well to win the stage with 2008.
Pee settled for second with 2004 while Bernice Lim, New Hui Fen and Nurul Dini completed the top five with 2000, 1987 and 1963 respectively. Nada Nawwarah of Malaysia made the cut for Stage 2 in 15th position with 1799. Hong Kong's Chloe Lee missed the cut by 31 pins finishing 16th.
In the Men's Open division, Kuwaiti youth, Nasser Alkandar surprised a classy field to win the stage with 2130 after the keen tussle for the lead with team-mate, Hassan Qasem and 2025 Kuala Lumpur International Open champion, Izz Naqiuddin Putera of Malaysia.
Desperado qualifier had a superb start with 289 to lead Hong Kong's Chun Yiu Long and Japan's Yuki Murahama sharing second spot. Newly-crowned Singapore Open champion, Rafiq Ismail and Danial Abu Samah of Malaysia, both rolled 300 in their second game to take up first and second.
Ismail continued to lead despite only managing 225. Izz Naqiuddin trailed in second followed by Chung in third. Chung took over the lead at the halfway mark only to see Izz Naqiuddin moving into the lead. Two Kuwaitis, Hassan Qasem and Nasser both shot 300 in the sixth game to take up first and second spots.
Men's Open Stage 1 winner, Nasser Alkandar
Nasser ended the stage in style rolling back-to-back 278 to seal the win with 2130. Izz Naqiuddin settled for second with 2088 ahead of Hassan in third with 2076. Chung finished a creditable fourth with 2061 while 2023 Hong Kong Open champion, Tun Hakim stormed home to snatch fifth position with 2038.
Hong Kong bowlers who made the cut for the next stage were James Lui in 11th, Ernest Kwok in 12th, Ivan Tse in 14th, Wu Siu Hong in 16th and Tony Wong squeezing through in 16th position with 1964.
The top 15 women and top 18 men advanced to Stage 2 finals tomorrow for another 8 games. They will be joined by the top 3 local and top 3 overseas seeded qualifiers. The top 6 women and top 6 men at the end of Stage 1 finals will proceed to the Stepladder Shootout finals.
Photos by Terence Yaw.
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