Mohd Syafiq Ridhwan Abdul Malek has suffered from inconsistency since hitting a high in his career in 2012.
PETALING JAYA: Success can be a double-edged sword. Just ask national bowler Mohd Syafiq Ridhwan Abdul Malek.
The 27-year-old had a stellar year in 2012 when he became the first Malaysian to win the AMF Bowling World Cup in Poland.
He also won the Penang Pesta and Taiwan International Open titles that year, as well as a bronze (men’s doubles) at the Asian Tenpin Bowling Championship in Hong Kong.
His career, however, has been plagued by inconsistency.
This year, Syafiq finished 20th at the Euro-Med International Masters Challenge in Philippines in May but failed to get pass the second stage at the Brunswick Euro Challenge in Munich.
“It’s tough when you have such an amazing year like I did in 2012. I felt like I peaked that year ... but the consistency was lost. I had good vibes before the World Cup ... but I never quite got that feeling again,” said Syafiq.
“I found it hard to live up to the expectations of others. I started putting too much pressure on myself and it affected my game.
“Now, I take a calmer approach. I just want to relax and enjoy the game. You can’t be too rigid, especially in a game like bowling.”
Syafiq is one of the six men bound for the Incheon Asian Games. The others are Alex Liew, Adrian Ang, Zulmazran Zulkifli, Rafiq Ismail and Timmy Tan.
And Syafiq proved that he is a team player when he said that he’s craving for team success after ending up with team silver at the 2010 Games in Guangzhou.
“I’ve tasted individual success with the World Cup, so I want to experience something different,” said Syafiq.
“Individual success is great, but it’s team success that I’m craving for. I’ve experienced it once ... when we won the team gold at the World Youth Championships in 2008 and I’d like to have that feeling once again in Incheon.”
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