PETALING JAYA: Rafiq Ismail believes winning the national title is enough to remind him that his bowling does not need any changing.
He believes he can bring the same form to strike a rich vein of form in the World Games from July 5-12 in Alabama, the United States.
Eager for action: Rafiq Ismail is excited to compete in the World Games as it would be his first international competition this year.
Rafiq and Timmy Tan will form the men’s team while Sin Li Jane and Natasha Roslan make up the women’s cast for the competition.
When asked if he did anything different during training before the World Games, he replied: “Nothing much.
“I did what I always do. I didn’t make any big changes as I’m happy with the way I bowl now.
“Winning the National Championships had given me the boost that I needed. It shows that I’m still on track.”
The 24-year-old Rafiq said the World Games would be his first international competition this year, so his excitement was palpable.
His last international was the World Championships in Dubai in November last year.
“We have less than a month before the Games. I’m preparing for the doubles event with Timmy, that’s the emphasis right now,” he said.
“We are also waiting for the organisers to announce the oiling pattern that they will use for the tournament.
“The World Games will be an interesting one because of the matchplay format.
“Every game will be intense. If we lose the first game, that’s it, we are done. So we have to be on our toes all the time in every game. My target is to reach the semi-finals,” he said.
After the World Games, Rafiq will be taking part in the Thailand Open in Bangkok (Sept 5-8), Asian Championships in Hong Kong (Nov 20-30), Hong Kong Open (Dec 4-10) and Singapore Open (Dec 11-17).
If he remains consistent, he stands a chance to emerge as the top ranked male bowler in the Asian Bowling Federation (ABF) rankings. He is currently ranked second but for now, Rafiq said it was not his focus.
“I would have gotten a lot of points if I had competed in the SEA Games but I did not take part. I just want to do well in all the upcoming tournaments and see where it leads me to,” he added.
Malaysia only sent back-up bowlers for the Vietnam SEA Games and missed out on the gold for the first time in the series.
