Rafiq and Syazirol bag bronze in men’s doubles on challenging day at world meet

Against the odds: Rafiq Ismail (left) and Syazirol Shamsudin showing off their bronze medals.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysian bowlers Rafiq Ismail and Syazirol Shamsudin bagged a bronze in the men’s doubles at the World Championships amid a challenging outing for the national squad in Hong Kong yesterday.

Syazirol and Rafiq got their momentum going early, particularly in the round of 24 in Group C.

The duo topped their group decisively with 12 points, registering a commanding scratch total of 1,134 pinfalls across five games.

Rafiq and Syazirol’s scores of 246, 212, 217, 243, and 216 propelled them past established European contenders from Denmark and Sweden and into the semi-finals.

“Rafiq and I are proud of our performance today because we were placed in a tough group. Despite that, we managed to break through and advance to the semi-finals,” Syazirol said.

Their reward, however, was a fierce semi-final duel against Romania’s Mihai-Alin Dragnia and Mate Balazs-Becsi.

Rafiq and Syazirol started confidently, clinching the first point with a sharp 247–235 win but the Romanians clawed back, edging the second game 235–221 to force a decider.

In the rubber game, Syazirol and Rafiq struggled to regain their earlier rhythm, falling 166–231 to settle for the bronze. Dragnia and Mate Balazs-Becsi went on to claim the gold.

With the trios event up next, Syazirol hopes their breakthrough will set the tone for the Malaysian camp.

“For the trios, Rafiq, Hafiz (Zainuddin), and I aim to carry this momentum forward. There haven’t been any changes to the game plan from the coach yet, but we are committed to giving our absolute best.”

Meanwhile, the other Malaysian bowlers endured a tougher road.

Mohd Danial Abu Samah and Hafiz Zainuddin finished sixth in Group A with three points, while the women’s pairs of Gillian Lim-Nora Lyana Nastasia Norkamal and Adelia Nur Irwan Syazalee-Siti Safiyah Amirah Abdul Rahman fought valiantly but fell short of advancing.

Adelia had earlier won the women’s singles silver on Thursday.