Latest news with #SonicClassic
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
'This is for dad': Izz dedicates Thailand Open win to cancer survivor
KUALA LUMPUR: Bowler Izz Naqiuddin Putera Islahuddin delivered a performance to remember at the Thailand Open and made it all the more special by dedicating the win to his father, who is recovering from stage two cancer. Malaysia came close to celebrating a golden double in Bangkok, but Siti Safiyah Amirah Abdul Rahman was denied in the women's final, settling for second place after an inspired run. The 21-year-old Izz showed grit and composure to clinch the men's Open crown in Bangkok on Thursday, overcoming Singapore's Mike Ong 223-183 in the sudden-death decider after losing the opening game 183-202 in the 1+1 stepladder final format. Izz, who entered the final as top seed after leading the third-round roll-off with a six-game total of 1,383, stood firm despite the pressure of seeing his advantage erased by Mike's opening win. "This victory means everything to me. I dedicate it to my dad, who was diagnosed with stage two nose cancer last September," said Izz. "He's cancer-free now and going through recovery. He told me before this trip not to bowl with pressure, just to give my best. That really fired me up to make him proud." Izz, who had won the KL Open last month, now has four senior titles to his name, having also bagged the Penang Pesta International and Singapore's Sonic Classic last year. Even more satisfying for Izz was successfully defending the Thailand Open men's title for Malaysia — an honour roll that includes his idol Rafiq Ismail, who won in 2015 and 2023, and finished runner-up in 2017 and 2022. Rafiq could only place 16th this year. "It's a proud moment for me to be in the winners' circle of a prestigious event like this, especially following in the footsteps of Rafiq, someone I've always looked up to," added Izz, who earned 350,000 Thai baht ( RM45,700) in prize money. In the stepladder finals, Mike had worked his way up from the three-way quarter-final, scoring 246 to outgun Jaris Goh of Singapore (221) and Aldric Bathan of the Philippines (189). He then produced another strong performance with 258 in the semi-finals to edge Malaysians Syazirol Shamsuddin (214) and Tony Wong of Hong Kong (212). Meanwhile, in the women's division, Siti Safiyah came close to recapturing the title she last won in 2019 but was denied by Singapore's top seed, Charmaine Chang, who prevailed 242–224 in the final. The second-seeded Malaysian had earlier stormed through the semi-final with a 231 score to beat compatriots Nora Lyana Nastasia Norkamal (201) and Nur Syazwani Sahar (158), resulting in Malaysia locking down three of the top four spots. Nora Lyana was bidding for her third title following her previous triumphs in 2015 and 2023.
New Straits Times
01-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Rising star Izz Naqiuddin bowls to KL Open victory
SUBANG JAYA: Rising national bowler Izz Naqiuddin Putera Islahuddin continued to stake his claim as a future star after clinching the Mixed Open title at the Kuala Lumpur Open on Sunday. The 21-year-old topped a strong 36-bowler field with 1,993 pinfalls over 10 games at Sunway Mega Lanes, finishing ahead of Ahmad Azriq Izam (1,951) and Ahmad Aidil Abdul Halim (1,882). The field included national stars like Rafiq Ismail and Tun Hakim Tun Hasnul Azam, as well as regional heavyweights Ryan Lalisang, Yannaphon Larpapharat and Australia's Sam Cooley — making Izz's win all the more impressive. "It felt great to come out on top today, especially in a field that had my idol Rafiq Ismail," said Izz, who earned RM30,000 in prize money. "I bowled consistently, didn't have to adjust much. I'm happy because hard work pays off." The victory marked Izz's third career title after winning the Penang Pesta International in 2023 and the Sonic Classic in Singapore last year. The win was also a timely response after a poor title defence at the Sonic Classic and a 16th-place finish at the Malaysian Open last month. Izz was a surprise pick for last year's Asian Championships in Bangkok, selected ahead of regulars like Timmy Tan and Ahmad Muaz Fishol, and he justified it by helping Malaysia win team silver. Now eyeing a spot at the World Championships in Hong Kong or Sea Games in Thailand later this year, Izz hopes this title will boost his case. "This gives me confidence. Only six make the squad, and it would be my debut if I get in," he said. "I'm saving most of the prize money but plan to buy something nice for my dad too." Nur Syazwani Sahar also impressed, retaining her women's Open title with a 10th-place finish (1,776). The 26-year-old had only returned from the United States last Friday after finishing joint 13th at the USBC Queens, where she competed against nearly 200 bowlers. "I started with a perfect game, but a bad pair of lanes threw me off. I regrouped and aimed for a 200 average, finishing with a 243," she said. "Given the jet lag, I'm pretty satisfied." Syazwani took home RM7,850 — RM7,000 for the women's crown and RM850 for her overall finish — and now shifts focus to next week's Singapore Open, where she's targeting a top-10 result. Faten Najihah Ahmad Faik and Lavinia Kho finished as the second and third-best women respectively. Among other notable national stars, Ahmad Muaz Fishol (1,815) and Hafiz Zainuddin (1,813) placed sixth and seventh, while Tun Hakim (1,786) was ninth. Rafiq (1,732) and Timmy Tan (1,706) ended 16th and 19th.
