22nd April, K.Lumpur: Twenty-four youths were selected after 8 girls averaged 185 and above and the top 16 boys ended the National Youth Selection 2007 at Mega Lanes Kuala Lumpur Sunday afternoon.

Jacqueline Sijore, who won the Malaysian Open Youth Girls Masters title, topped the gruelling 32-game girl's division with a grand total of 6459 and the only girls surpassing the 200-mark average.

Despite loosing the lead briefly to Perak's Nazrinnah Mohd Kamil after today's third game, the 15-year-old regained the lead and went on to cruise to an easy 8-game score of 1619. Asian Schools gold medalist, Trish Khoo Wei Ling, the only spinner in the field, stormed home to grab second spot with 6345.

SUKMA Games two gold medalist, Nazrinnah settled for third with 6330 while Round 1 leader, Fatin Syazliana of Penang, displayed great fighting spirit to snatch fourth spot with 6174. The top 4 had earned to put the Malaysian national youth colours for the Thailand International Open in May for their efforts.

Tengku Emanina Laily Bte Tengku Zahri of Kedah, missed the Thailand Open finishing fourth with 6144 with first block leader, Hurul Ainul of Negeri Sembilan, Selangor's Christyn Chew and Sarawak's Dayang Khairuniza all making the national youth ranks with 189 and above average.

Competition for the top 4 spots was more keenly fought in the boy's division. In the end, Penang's Adrian Charles Dragon topped the field of 32 with a total of 6775. Dragon, who was second and third throughout the first to the third block, stormed home with a superb 8-game series of 1653 to take top spot.

Johor's Khairul Diaz did well to finish second with 6550 ahead of Aris Ardilla of Sarawak in third with 6647. Overnight leader, Khairul Hafidz B Zamri settled for fourth spot with 6627 and the fourth bowler to get selected for the Thailand Open.

Last year's national youth, Rodson Tong of Pahang was re-selected after finishing fifth with 6575 and making up the top 5. The top 16 were successful in being selected for this year's squad where the top 15 average 200 and above except Muhamman Amirrul Afif of Kuala Lumpur with 199 average.

Narrowly missing the cut were Chaim Xi Kuan of Johor in 17th and Penang's Khoo Beng Khai in 18th with 198 and 197 averages respectively.

Photos by Terence Yaw, MTBC.

21st April, K.Lumpur: Malaysian International Open Youth Girl champion, Jacqueline Sijore of Sarawak took over the lead of the Girl's division of the National Youth Selection 2007 at the end of the third block at Mega Lanes Kuala Lumpur.

After trailing the overnight lead by 61 pins, Jacqueline crawled her way back to the top of the leaderboard after a superb 8-game 1658 score and a total 4840 when the country's youth resumed their thid block this morning.

Despite a slow start of 175 in the first game, a 268 in the second game got the 15-year-old Sarawakian youth going and took over the lead from game 4 onwards. Overnight leader, Nazrinnah Bt Mohd Kamil settled for second with a total of 4775 while Kedah's Tengku Emanina Laily finished third with 4737.

First block leader, Hurul Ainul of Negeri Sembilan continued to slid to fifth after a poor 1581 third block series behind 2006 Asian Schools Team gold medalist, Trish Khoo of Sabah, who improved from seventh to take up fourth with 4693.

Again, the eighth youth girls who surpassed the 185 and above average to make the National Youth grade all averaged above 191 while the only youth not in contention was Sarawak's Wilhelmina Wee on 179 average.

First block and overnight leader, Khairul Hafidz B Zamri, who lost the lead before the final game, regained the lead with a 234 in his final game. The 19-year-old 2005 GP Finals champion amassed 5167 over 24 game bowled so far, just 7 pins ahead of his nearest opponent.

Johor's Khairul Diaz, who was fifth yesterday, stromed into the top 3 with a superb 8-game series of 1788 to take up second spot with 3521. Penang's Adrian Charles Dragon got pushed down to third on a total of 5122.

Despite with 25 youths averaging above 190 and 19 above the 200 after the second block, only the top 16 boys will be selected into this year's national youth squad. Lying currently in 16th position was Afiq Rifqi B Lahat Dadok from Johor with 4843 and 201.79 average.

The youths will bowl their final block of 8 games on Sunday and the top 16 boys and the girls who average above 185 will be selected. At the same time, the top 4 boys and top 4 girls will be sent to compete in the Thailand International Open in May.

Photos by Terence Yaw, MTBC.

20th April, P.Jaya: Round 2 of the National Youth Selection 2007 roll-off resumed at Pyramid Mega Lanes this morning with Khairul Hafidz of Kedah scoring a perfect game enroute to maintaining the lead of the boy's division while Perak's Nazrinnah Bt Mohd Kamil took the girl's lead.

The 19-year-old 2005 Junior Circuit GP Finals champion led all the way to complete the second block of 8 games with 1822 and an accummulated 16-game total of 3599. Apart from a slight challenge by Penang's Adrian Charles Dragon narrowing the gap to just 7 pins, a 300 game saw the leader pulling away to a comfortable 85 lead at the halfway mark.

Khairul set the lanes on fire as he reeled off 236, 234, 213, 200, 207, 209, 231 and easing off with 192 in his 8-games block. Dragon settled for second with 3521 with Sarawak's Aris Ardilla in close company just 15 pins adrift on 3506.

Perak's Equine Lam, who was third overnight dropped one rung down to fourth with 3446 followed by Khairul Diaz from Johor completing the top 5 with 3421. Twenty-five boys made the cut off mark of 190 and above average with two more blocks to go and twenty surpassed the 200-mark.

The lead in the girl's division changed hands when SUKMA Games two gold medalist and 2006 GP Finals first runner-up, Nazrinnah Bt Mohd Kamil of Perak amassed 3280 pinfalls. Nazrinnah was second last night with 1660 and her 1620 allowed her to take over the lead.

Selangor's Christyn Chew also improved from fourth overnight to finish second just 11 pins adrift with 3269 after bowling consistently with 1634 and 1635 in her two blocks. Overnigh leader, Hurul Ainul of Negeri Sembilan settled for third with 3219.

Eight out of the 9 girls who made this Round 2, bettered the 185 and above average with the eighth youth averaging 192.38. Malaysian Open Youth Girls Open champion move up one spot to take up fourth with 3182.

The youths will resume with the third block of 8 games at Mega Lanes Kuala Lumpur in Endah Parade Saturday morning and will end the selection on Sunday with the final 8 games.

Photos by Terence Yaw, MTBC.

19th April, P.Jaya: The number of boys and girls exceeding the cut-off average mark has increased significantly as the Round 2 of the National Youth Selection 2007 got underway at Pyramid Mega Lanes Thursday afternoon.

Out of 9 girls who made the 185 and above average in Round 1 held last month, only one narrowly missed at 184.63. The surprise leader was Negeri Sembilan's Hurul Ainul, who downed 1679 for an impressive 209.88 average.

The 14-year-old Sukan Teras protegie chalked up lines of 219, 258, 170, 195, 235, 214, 174 and 214 to lead the field with 19 pins. Second spot went to last year's GP Finals first runner-up, Nazrinnah Mohd Kamil of Perak with 1660.

Tengku Emanina Laily of Kedah, pipped Selangor's Christyn Chew for third spot with 1646, just 12 pins ahead of Chew. Malaysian Open Youth Girls Open champion, Jacqueline Sijore of Sarawak could only manage fifth with 1539.

Round 1 leader, Fatin Syazliana Bt Adi Nasution from Penang, who was nursing a wrist injury finished eighth behind 2006 Asian Schools Team Gold medalist, Trish Khoo in seventh. Wilhelmina Wee finished ninth with 184.63 average.

The boys were more impressive in the first block with 25 out of 32 surpassing the average mark of 190. Last year's GP Finals champion, Khairul Hafidz B Zamri of Kedah topped the field with a superb 1777 and an average of 222.13.

Perak's Equine Lam and Penang's Adrian Charles Dragon, both last year's national youth memeber, took second and third spots with 1754 and 1733 respectively. Sarawak's Aris Ardilla was the best East Malaysian finishing fourth with 1722.

Abdul Muhaimin (PRK-1719), Patrick Nea Kee Wu (JOH-1700), Noor Afizal Azizan (NSE-1696), Jonathan Chan (PAH-1690), Muhammad Amirrul Afif (KUL-1669) and Khoo Khai Beng (PEN-1655) completed the top 10 from fifth to tenth positions.

The youths will resume the selection with their second block of 8 games at the same centre Friday. The pack will move over to Mega lanes Kuala Lumpur at Endah Parade for the third and final block on 21st and 22nd April.

Photos by Terence Yaw, MTBC.