Asia’s top bowler, Rafiq Ismail, likened his gold-winning performance at the Asian Championships to “flying business class,” as he and teammates Syafiq Ridhwan Abdul Malek and Hafiz Zainuddin clinched the men’s trios gold in Bangkok yesterday. “It felt like flying business class. Hafiz was the co-pilot, and Syafiq the captain,” Rafiq told Scoop, praising his teammates for their outstanding form. “I bowled decently, but these guys were on another level.”

The trio delivered impressive results in the second block, amassing a six-game total of 3,961 pinfalls, ahead of South Korea’s silver medallists with 3,814 and Hong Kong’s bronze medallists with 3,797. Rafiq, who also secured the men’s singles gold earlier in the competition, expressed confidence in the team’s ability to defend their men’s team gold as the five-man event kicks off today. “Yes, that’s the big one. The one we really want to win,” he added.

The men’s trios victory marks Malaysia’s fourth gold at this year’s Asian Championships, following their best-ever haul of six gold medals, one silver, and three bronzes in 2019. Earlier, the Malaysian women’s trio of Sin Li Jane, Natasha Roslan, and Gillian Lim settled for silver, scoring 3,784 pinfalls, with Singapore taking gold and South Korea securing bronze. “It was an emotional rollercoaster,” said Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress secretary-general Maradona Chok, noting the men’s surge from sixth place at the halfway mark to clinch gold. “These teams are riding high on confidence, making excellent shots under pressure.”