SUKMA: Sabah Aims For Two Gold Medals Despite Fielding Half Newcomers

KOTA KINABALU, Aug 8 (Bernama) -- Although half of the team are new faces, the Sabah tenpin bowling squad remains confident of winning at least two gold medals in the 21st Malaysia Games (SUKMA) in Sarawak.

Sabah SUKMA tenpin bowling team manager Mohd Kamsul Syah Kassim said Sabah will be sending 12 players, including three men and three women bowlers who are making their SUKMA debut.

"We will be competing in six categories, namely men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, mixed doubles, men's and women's trios, men's and women's teams, and men's and women's masters," he told Bernama here today.

The tenpin bowling event will be held at Megalanes Sarawak in Kuching from Aug 14 to 20.

Mohd Kamsul Syah said although the squad includes new players, their performance has shown that many are medal contenders.

He said the men’s team had trained from Monday to Friday and the women's team, on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, for two to three hours per session.

Meanwhile, Sabah Tenpin Bowling president Rozainisham Talib offered words of encouragement to the squad departing for Sarawak today, urging them to stay focused and maintain their health throughout the competition.

He believes that all players are mentally and physically prepared to deliver their best performance in SUKMA.

"I am confident that every player, including those participating in SUKMA for the first time this year, will provide strong competition to other states and be able to bring home medals," he said.

The team:

Men

1. Nabil Aiman Mantaip 

2. Emmanual Foo

3. Brendon Liew Tze Hao

4. Aaron Liew Tze Hao (new)

5. Bryan Liew Tze Vui (new)

6. Mohd Haziq Saiful (new)

Women

1. Cara Loh Wah Theng

2. Intan Qistina Tamring

3. Nurul Amirah Amirul

4. Nur Jeehan Iezzaty Suffian (new)

5. Nur Aleeya Syakirah Awang Ali (new)

6. Nurul Waheedah Polinu (new)

-- BERNAMA