SYAIDATUL TURNS IT ON IN THE MASTERS TO STRIKE GOLD FOR PERAK
Tuesday, 17 July·2012 (Source from The Star)
Masters gold medalists Mohd Rafiq and Syaidatul Afifah
PERAK bowler Syaidatul Afifah Badrul Hamidi could not bear the thought of going home from the Pahang Games without a single medal.
So, the 21-year-old Syaidatul turned it on in the Masters to strike gold by beating Pahang’s Faten Najihah Ahmad Faik 241-167 in the final.
Perak had been without a single medal from bowling and Syaidatul had been their only hope after being top seeded in the step-ladder final by virtue of leading the Masters standings after 15 games.
In the final, Syaidatul, as the top seed, got to choose the preferred oiling pattern and she went with the short pattern, which she is more comfortable with.
My scores are better on the short oil pattern so I naturally opted for it, said Syaidatul, who was competing in her last Sukma.
I just gave it my all in the final as I had so much to lose. I could not afford to finish second best as I'm a bowler in the national elite squad and most of the bowlers here are my juniors, she said.
Besides getting the gold medal for Perak, I won't have to put up with the jibes when I go back to training with the national team.
In the men's final, 15-year-old Mohd Rafiq Ismail of FT stunned the crowd by defeating Johnathan Chan of Pahang 216-181.
Johnathan, who received the loudest cheer from the home crowd, handed the gold medal to Rafiq after having two open frames in the final.
I was a nervous wreck out there. Although I won the semi-final against Jonathan (Ding Sagan), my game wasn't that good as I lacked confidence, said Rafiq.
But when Johnathan suffered two open frames, it occurred to me that was the opening I needed to stretch my lead and, luckily, I won.