1st August, J.Bahru: Top-seeds Nor Atteya, Syafiq Ridhwan, Sharon Koh and Kurtwin Low ended the SportExcel-NSC-Milo-MSSM Junior Circuit final leg with victory at Ampang Superbowl Johor this afternoon.

Top-seed and National youth squad member, Syafiq Ridhwan won the Boy's Open title after he defeated challenger, Adrian Charles Dragon of Penang, 201-179 for a back-to-back title. The burly 17-year-old, who won the Selangor Leg in June had earlier topped the Round-robin finals with an accummulated total of 4320 before the stepladder finals.

Dragon, who made the stepladder finals in fourth with 4164 had earlier knocked out second-seed, Muhd Nur Aiman (193) of Johor and third-seed, Eric Lim Mun Wong (176) of Perak with 202 before going down to the eventual champion.

Dragon settled for second while Aiman and Eric took third and fourth spots respectively. Ahmad Fauzan Badaruddin (NSE-4110), Wan Muhd Fauzwan (JOH-4097), Fahmi Bahri (JOH-4068) and Ian Tay Yee Ren (KUL-3999) ended the round-robin finals from fifth to eighth positions.

In the Girl's Open division, Sharon Koh of Selangor erased her disappointment after finishing as runner-up in the Selangor leg to win her first title this year. The 6th Asian Shools Silver medalist, defeated challenger and Interstate Championship Girls Team Silver medalist, Low Xin Pin of Kuala Lumpur 205-167 in the stepladder finals for a well deserved win. The champion had earlier topped the round-robin finals winning all the eight matches with 1729 and a scratch average of 216.13 for a grand total of 4339.

Low, who finished fourth in the semifianls, settled for second despite ousting thid-seed, Zatil Iman (191) of Selangor and Siti Safiyah (147) of Selangor with 193 in the first stepladder match.

Lim Wai Jun (PAH-4031), Wan Nur Atiqqa (JOH-4028), Nicole Teong (KUL-4018) and Yap Pui Yee (KUL-3921) were placed fifth to eighth after the 8-games semifinals earlier.

Meanwhile, leader throughout the Johor leg in the Boy's Graded division, Kurtwin Low had to work hard for his maiden win when he was forced to the sudden-death final stepladder match. Kurtwin lost the first match to Mohd Khushari from Perak 168-205 but rebounded to easily win the second crucial match 214-148 for first-ever Junior Circuit title.

Although knocking out second-seed Syahereza Fajrin (191) of Selangor and fourth-seed Mohd Faizal (149) of Johor with 208 in the first stepllader match, Khushari settled for second while Syahereza and Faizal took third and fourth spots.

Patrick Nea Kee Wo (JOH-3981), Ahmad Shazree (JOH-3918), Nur Adli (JOH-3884) and Farhan Falliq B. Azali (SEL-3957) ended up from fifth to eighth places respectively at the end of the semifinals.

In the Girl's Graded division, Perak's Nor Atteya took her fourth title this year when she narrowly ousted local hopeful, Siti Shazwani, 170-168 in the stepladder finals. Atteya, who won three consecutive titles in the Perak, Penang and Kuala Lumpur legs, has now equalled former national bowler, Sharon Chai's record set when she was bowling the the junior circuit previously.

Siti Shazwani did well to finish as runner-up after being placed fourth in the semifinals. She defeated second-seed Pang Shi Wan (173) of Melaka and third-seed Tengku Emanina (149) of Kedah with a score of 175 in the first match.

Nazrinnah Mohd Kamil (PRK-3756), Nor Amilia (SEL-3694), Crystal Chua (JOH-3689) and Ili Syazana (SEL-3656) completed the Girl's Graded semifinals from fifth to eighth respectively.

The Johor Leg was the final leg in this year's SportExcel-NSC-Milo-MSSM Junior Circuit. The top 16 Boy's Open and Graded in the GP rankings table have qualified for the GP Finals scheduled from 27th - 29th August at Ampang Superbowl in Pulau Langkawi while the top 12 in the Girl's Open and Graded division will join them as well.

Photos by Terence Yaw, MTBC.

31st July, J.Bahru: Selangor youths, Syafiq Ridhwan and Siti Safiyah shared the limelight by taking the lead in the Boy's and Girl's Open quarterfinals of the SportExcel-NSC-Milo-MSSM Junior Circuit Johor Leg whilst Melaka's Pang Shi Wan finished top in the Girl's Graded division.

The burly Selangor leg champion, who led the Boy's Open division Stage 1 by 36 pins, had his lead reduced to 13 pins at the end of the quarterfinals this evening at Ampang Superbowl Pelangi with a total score of 2708. 6th Asian Schools Doubles Silver medalist, Muhd Nur Aiman of Johor, who led the first four games, had to settle for second with 2695 ahead of fellow-Johorian, Wan Muhd Fauzwan in third spot with 2613.

Another Johor youth, Fahmi Bahri finsihed fourth with 2607 followed by Penang's Adrian Charles Dragon in fifth spot with 2579. Eric Lim Mun

Wong (PRK-2570), Ahmad Fauzan (NSE-2558) and Ian Tay Yee Ren (KUL-2537) made the cut for tomorrow's Round-robin finals from sixth to eight positions.

Selangor's Siti Safiyah Amirah maintained her lead in the Girl's Open division with a total score of 2651. Kuala Lumpur's Nicole Teong improved from fourth in Stage 1 to second with a total of 2616 while Low Xin Pin also improved from fifth to take up third spot with 2597 at the end of the quarterfinals. All but two girls missed the cut for the Round-robin finals tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the lead in the Girl's Graded division changed hands when Pang Shi Wan took over the lead with 2573 at the end of the quarterfinals. The Melaka spinner has a 92-pin cushion over second placed, Nor Atteya of Perak, who accummulated 2481 followed by Kedah's Tengku Emanina in third on a total of 2386.

Selangor's Nor Amilia totalled 2385 for fourth spot with Perak's Nazrinnah Mohd Kamil, who had 2372 for fifth place.

Stage 1 leader, Crystal Chua dropped to sixth with 2368 joined by Siti Shazwani (JOH-2330) and Ili Syazana (SEL-2321) in seventh and eight to make the cut for the Girl's Graded Round-robin finals tomorrow.

The top 8 from each division will battle it out in the Round-robin finals

at the end of which the top 4 will proceed to the stepladder finals to determine the winners on this year's final leg.

Photos by Terence Yaw, MTBC.

31st July, J.Bahru: National Youth squad member, Kurtwin Low of MSN Kuala Lumpur retained the lead in the Boy's Graded of the Sportexcel-NSC-Milo-MSSM Junior Circuit Johor Leg at the end of the quarterfinals at Ampang Superbowl Pelangi.

Stage 1 leader, Kurtwin cruised to the top of a field of 48 Boy's Graded bowlers after he accummulated a total of 2662 from his 1133 scored in this morning's quarterfinals. The 14-year-old finished ahead of Syahereza Fajrin from Selangor, who stormed home into second spot after a high game of 279 in the final game on a total of 2631.

Mohd Faizal of Johor took third spot with 2494 while Ahmad Shazree of Johor and Mohd Khushairi from Perak finished fourth and fifth positions with 2487 and 2484 respectively.

Nur Adli (JOH-2484), Patrick Nea Kee Wo (JOH-2482) and Farhan Falliq (SEL-2477) completed the top 8 qualifying for tomorrow's Round-robin finals from sixth to eight places.

Photos by Terence Yaw, MTBC.

31st July, J.Bahru: National Youth squad member and last start winner, Siti Safiyah topped the Girl's Open Stage 1 of the Sportexcel-NSC-Milo-MSSM Junior Circuit Johor Leg while Johor's Crystal Chua finished pole in Graded division at Ampang Superbowl Johor this morniing.

Safiyah, who is a Form 2 student from SMK USJ13 in Petaling Jaya, had lines of 203, 187, 159, 160, 201, 241, 175 and 236 to total 1562. Coached by Holloway Cheah and Chris Batson, the 2004 Selangor Leg champion was trailing Pahang's Lim Wai Jun by 11 pins before finishing strongly to snatch the lead in the final game.

"I found the lanes quite oily and it took quite a while to adapt to the lanes in first four games but after I found the line I wanted to bowl, I started to score better," said Siti Safiyah, who won three legs in 2003.

Lim Wai Jun settled for second with a score of 1543 ahead of early pace-setter, Zatil Iman of Selangor, who eventually ended up in third spot with 1539. Two Kuala Lumpur girls, Nicole Teong and Low Xin Pin finished fouth and fifth with 1468 and 1441 respectively.

Meanwhile, Crystal Chua of Johor led from start to finish in the Girl's Graded 8-games Stage 1 with a score of 1462 to head a field of 40 bowlers. The 16-year-old Daiman Bowl Youth Club, who has been bowling for four years, finished fifth at the Kuala Lumpur leg early this year and won a Gold medal in the MSSM 2002 in the Team event.

Crystal, who is a Form 4 student at SMK Tebrau, is trained by former State youth development coach, Madam Irene Chong.

Nor Atteya of Perak took second spot, 19 pins behind the leader on 1443 with newcomer, Dionne Yeo from Melaka in third with 1386.

All the 10 Girl's Open and the top 28 Girl's Graded made the next round quarterfinals which will be contested later in the afternoon.

Photos by Terence Yaw, MTBC.

30th July, J.Bahru: National Youth squad members, Syafiq Ridhwan of Selangor topped the Boy's Open Stage 1 of the Sportexcel-NSC-Milo-MSSM Junior Circuit Johor Leg while Squad A leader, Kurtwin Low retained pole in Boy's Graded division.

Selangor Leg champion, Syafiq Ridhwan of Selangor grabbed the lead from early leader, Ian Tay of MSN Kuala Lumpur to top the Boy's Open Stage 1 when he scored 1576. The 19-year-old National Youth squad member, who has been bowling since 2000, was the only bowler closed to the 200-average mark in a very difficult condition at newly-resanded Ampang Superbowl. The Sekolah Sukan Bukit Jalil student had an average of 197 to lead from 7th Asian Schools Bronze medalist, Muhd Nur Aiman of Johor in secdond, 36 pins adrift with 1540.

Eric Chai of Perak did well to stay with the leaders to finish third on 1512 followed by leader leader Ian Tay Yee Ren and Fahmi Bahri of Johor in fourth and fifth with 1496 and 1493 respectively.

Meanwhile, Squad A leader, Kurtwin Low retained the lead he took in the morning when the remaining 28 Boy's Graded bowlers completed their Stage 1 on his score of 1529. Johor's Patrick Nea Kee Wo also retained second spot with 1528. Ahmad Shazree from Squad B did well to take third place with 1454.

The top 16 Boy's Open and top 48 Boy's Graded qualified for tomorrow's quarter finals and will play for another 6 games to determine the top 8 from each division to move on to the Round-robin finals on Sunday, 1st August.

Photos by Terence Yaw, MTBC.

30th July, J.Bahru: National Youth squad member, Kurtwin Low of MSN Kuala Lumpur snatched the lead in the Boy's Graded Squad A of the Sportexcel-NSC-Milo-MSSM Junior Circuit Johor Leg by one pin at Ampang Superbowl Pelangi.

Low had lines of 217, 190, 180, 190, 182, 184, 185 and 201 for a total of 1529 pinfalls over the 8 games Stage 1. The 15-year-old SMK St. John student, who was trailing Patrick Nea of Johor by 36 pins after the seventh game, bowled 201 in his final game to snatch the lead by one pin. Partick settled for second with a total of 1528. Syajhereza Fajrin of Selangor, finished a distance third with 1431 followed by Farhan Falliq B. Azali of Mega Lanes Shah Alam in fourth with 1427.

"I hope to finish well in this final leg to gain enough points to secure a GP Final spot," said Kurtwin, who is 12th in the current GP Rankings.

The top 16 in the GP Rankings table at the end of the Johor leg will qualify for the GP Finals secheduled for 27th - 29th August at Pulau Langkawi. Liew King Yee of MSN Kuala Lumpur completed the top five in fifth spot with 1422.

60 Boys Graded took to the lanes for their Stage 1 in Squad A while a balance of 28 Boys Graded will contest their Stage 1 at 3.30pm joined by 20 Boys Open.

Photos by Terence Yaw, MTBC.