Aiman striking it right with the boys as they top first block

PETALING JAYA: National junior boys led by steady Mohd Aiman Syahin (pic) made a roaring start in the first block of the team event in the Asian Youth Championships at Sunway Mega Lanes yesterday.

The 19-year-old Aiman displayed maturity beyond his years, combining with doubles gold medalist Ethan Damien Goh, Wan Mohd Zarif Ikram and Mohd Danial Abu Samah for a total 2,635 pins to top the standings after three games.

South Korea’s quartet Bae Jung-hun, Kim Woo-jin, Bae Su-hyeon and Shin Ji-ho settled for second with 2,571, while Kuwait, comprising Abdulrazzaq Mohamad, Adel Ali, Nasser Al-Kandari and Hassan Qasem, were third with 2,511.

For Aiman, the performance was about one thing – consistency.

“My performance was quite consistent even though there were a few shots that could still be improved,” said Aiman.

“I’ll try to focus more on spare shooting and adapt to the lane conditions, hoping to maintain the momentum and improve the results in the second block.”

Aiman has been in fine form all week, finishing sixth in the singles and then partnering with Ethan to capture Malaysia’s first gold of the tournament in the doubles.

He is also currently top of the all-event rankings with 3,487 pins.

“Even though I finished sixth in singles, it was an important experience for me to learn how to control emotions and stay focused.

“From this competition, I’ve learnt the importance of consistency, teamwork, communication, and adapting quickly to the lane conditions,” said Aiman who was introduced to bowling by his parents when he was just four.

Meanwhile, in the girls’ team event, Malaysia’s group of Qurratu ‘Ain Izdihar Pozi, Nurul Anis Nabila, Adelia Nur Syazalee and Adania Mohd Redzwan are currently third with 2,308 pins.

The top two teams are Singapore (2,494) and South Korea (2,460).