PETALING JAYA: A burglary at his home may have left national bowling star Rafiq Ismail feeling devastated, but winning the Kuala Lumpur Open title at the Sunway Megalanes yesterday had put the smile back on his face.
Just a week after returning from his victorious Singapore Open campaign, Rafiq discovered his house had been broken into, with valuables worth an estimated RM60,000 stolen.
Instead of letting the incident derail him, he turned the setback into motivation, completing a remarkable hattrick of titles by winning the mixed Open title, adding to his Malaysian Open and Singapore Open victories earlier this month.
"I feel very happy because I managed to win all three tournaments this month. This is one of the sweetest achievements of my career," said Rafiq.
"After returning from Singapore, my house was burglarised and several valuable items were stolen.
"It was difficult, especially because my wife lost many of her belongings. But I chose to use it as motivation to work harder and keep moving forward."
The losses included gold jewellery, handbags and even a PlayStation 5 that held sentimental value as part of his wedding gifts.
Rafiq said the police investigation is ongoing, but he has accepted the situation and remained focused on his career.
"No matter what happens, I leave it to God. I accept it and will continue moving forward," he said.
Rafiq’s previous impressive run was in 2019 when he won four consecutive international titles.
At the KL Open, Rafiq topped the standings with a commanding 2,020 total over eight games for an average of 252.50.
Teammates Tun Ameerul Hakim Tun Hasnul Azam finished second on 1,918 pins, while Megat Zaqrul Haiqal completed a clean sweep of the podium for the hosts with 1,915.
Rafiq admitted the final stages were mentally draining, but he relaxed once he sensed victory was within reach.
"Bowling at this level is exhausting because you have to stay focused all the time. But midway through the last game, I knew I was in a good position and could enjoy the moment," he said.
The 28-year-old credited his success to the support of his family, wife, coaches and sponsors, including the Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC), National Sports Council (NSC) and National Sports Institute (NSI).
Rafiq will next compete in the Hong Kong Open before turning his attention to the year’s major targets, the Asian Championships and the World Cup.
"I’ll take it one step at a time. Every tournament I enter, I want to win, but right now I just want to go home, spend time with my family and enjoy a good meal with them," he added.
