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48th MWA-Thailand International Open

Malaysian wins second title, Singaporean wins first

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3rd August, Bangkok: Top-seed, Rafiq Ismail of Malaysia captured his second Men's Open Masters title at the 48th MWA-Thailand International Open Bowling Championships while 2024 World Youth Singles gold medalist, Arianne Tay of Singapore won her maiden International Open Women's title.

Ismail needed only one match to capture his second Thailand Open Men's title after beating second-seed and winner of the second semi-final match, Mike Ong of Singapore, 194-156. Both had good starts in the title match but it was Ong who encountered a big split in the fourth frame which he failed to spare it.

The Malaysian left-hander opened up a 20-pin gap with a double in the third and fourth frames but he too was met with a split in the fifth frame reducing his lead over Ong to ten pins. Whilst both title contenders found it hard to strike, another split from the Singaporean in the eighth frame sealed the tie for the top-seed.

Ismail went on to take victory, 194-156. Ong outclassed two Malaysians, third-seed, Hafiz Zainuddin and winner of the first semi-final match, Ahmad Aidl, 268-177-233 to advance to the final.

Top 3 winners, Mike Ong, Rafiq Ismail and Ahamd Aidil

Aidil edged fourth-seed, Annop Arromsaranon of Thailand and compatriot, Muhammad Hazim, 202-181-201 to advance to the second semi. In the earlier Round 3 finals, Ismail topped the round with 1434 pinfalls, 87 pins ahead of Ong in second with 1347. Zainuddin and Arromsaranon finished third and fourth with 1346 and 1330. Hazim and Aidil made the stepladder finals in fifth and sixth positions with 1319 and 1312 respectively.

In Round 2 finals contested in the morning, Joel Tan of Singapore topped the pack with 1382 followed by Hazim in second with 1362 and Aidil in third with 1342. Johnathan Chan of Sunway Megalanes, Malaysia made the cut for the next round in 12th position with 1262.

Meanwhile in the Women's division, 2024 World Youth Singles gold medalist and top-seed, Arianne Tay was forced into a second deciding match after losing to team-mate, Shayna Ng, 158-239 in the first all-Singapore final. But Tay fought back gallantly to beat Ng, 236-204 to take her maiden international open crown.

Ng had earlier ousted second-seed and winner of Round 2 finals, Nur Syazwani Sahar of Malaysia and winner of the first semi-final match, Dyan Arcel Coronacion of Philippines, 215-191-179 to face her compatriot in the final. The Filipina defeated two Malaysians, fourth-seed, Nora Lyana Nastasia and fifth-seed, Natasha Roslan, 200-198-184 in the first semi to advance to the second match.

Tay topped Round 3 finals with 1296 to proceed to the stepladder finals as top-seed. Nur Syazwani finished second with 1258 and Ng third with 1251. Nastasia, Roslan and Coronacion made the stepladder finals in fourth to sixth positions respectively.

Nur Syazwani won the morning's Round 2 finals with 1383, 40 pins ahead of two Singaporeans, Arianne Tay in second and Nur Irdina Binti Hazly in third. Coronacion tied with compatriot, Lara Posadas Wong in eighth position with 1187 to advance to the next round.

Top 2 winners of the Women's division, Arianne Tay and Shayna Ng

Rafiq Ismail pocketed the top prize of 350,000 Thai baht (approx. US$9,880) as champion. Ong and Aidil settled for 180,000 and 90,000 Thai baht as first and second runners-up. Arianne Tay took home 130,000 Thai baht (approx. US$3,670) as champion.

Ng and Nur Syazwani earned 65,000 and 32,000 Thai baht respectively. 176 men and 79 women participated at this year's Thailand Open during which they bowled three blocks of five games each from July 31 to August 2. The top 30 men plus 8 from Desperado squad and the top 20 women plus 4 from Desperado squad contested Round 2 and Round 3 finals.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok, Thailand.

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