KUALA LUMPUR – Dealing with challenging conditions of cold weather and battling homesickness in Peru, national youth bowler Megat Zaqrul Haiqal Megat Zairudin remains unwavering in his pursuit of clinching a gold medal for Malaysia at the ongoing IBF (International Bowling Federation) Youth World Cup.
Born in Johor and raised in Penang, the 21-year-old athlete, a gold medalist in the 2022 Malaysia Games (Sukma), is on a mission to rectify the missed opportunities of the past tournament.
Guided by head coach Azidi Ameran, Megat went on to win bronze in the 2022 competition held in Helsingborg, Sweden, in 2022.
“This is my second attempt in this tournament, and I definitely want to give my 100% to win the gold for my beloved country.
“The last time I competed, I came close with my first attempt in the tournament, but now I’m more mature and have the confidence to do better.
“I have never been to Peru before. The weather is cold, and I also miss my family and friends back home. But, I refuse to let homesickness affect my gameplay, as I came here with a mission, and I’m committed to accomplishing it.
“I have started practising my bowls for the past two days, and I will begin my competition in the boys’ ten-pin bowling singles category tomorrow. I’m pumped up and ready for the tournament,” Megat shared from Lima, Peru, when contacted by Scoop.
Megat, who also won the Malaysian and Singapore Open last year, draws inspiration from Malaysian bowling stalwart Muhammad Rafiq Ismail, expressing his hope of emulating his idol’s success.
The 27-year-old Rafiq is a well-known figure in the local bowling scene, with a track record of winning a gold medal at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games and a total of six gold medals at the SEA Games in 2015 (singles, trio, and team), 2017 (singles and masters), and 2019 (team).
Active in various sports since his youth, Megat chose bowling due to his admiration for Rafiq.
Both being left-handed players in the same category, Megat looks up to Rafiq for his hard work and early breakthrough in the sport.
“I pledge to learn as much as I can by competing against some of the best youth bowlers in the world so that one day I will be selected for the senior team to participate in the World Championship and hopefully repeat the same success as my idol by winning gold in the 2026 Nagoya Asian Games,” Megat added.
Together with Megat, Nur Hazirah Ramli was also selected to take part in the ongoing tournament – running from January 19 to 26 – in the girls’ open and team event categories.
After missing out on the Asian Youth Championships team, Megat redeemed himself by winning the boys’ event at the Malaysian Open in November last year.
The southpaw posted a total of 1,631 over eight games to secure the top spot in the 21-player contest at the Sunway Mega Lanes.
Tournament favourite Izz Naqiuddin Putera Islahuddin, a double gold medalist at last year’s Interstate Championships, came in second with a total of 1,608, followed by 13-year-old Sarawakian prodigy Ethan Damien, who claimed the bronze with 1,585. – January 25, 2023