Doha: The 24th Asian Junior Bowling Championship, organized by the Qatar Bowling Association in collaboration with the Asian Bowling Federation, is set to conclude on Saturday at the Qatar National Bowling Center. The event has attracted participants from 11 countries, including a total of 79 male and 20 female bowlers representing nations such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, China, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Bahrain, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and India, along with the host country, Qatar.
According to Qatar News Agency, the first round of the Masters competitions for both boys and girls took place on Friday, showcasing the top 16 players in each category. Kuwaiti bowler Nasser Al Kandari led the boys' competition with a score of 2,001 points. He was followed by Malaysia's Muhammad Irfan, who secured second place with 1,897 points, and Hong Kong's Dylan Lam, who finished third with 1,891 points. The Qatari team saw strong performances from Abdulrahman Al Dosari, Musaed Al Muraikhi, and Talal Al-Marri, who ranked sixth, eighth, and ninth, respectively.
In the girls' category, Hsin-Tse Huang from Chinese Taipei topped the standings with 1,699 points, narrowly outpacing Malaysia's Qurat Al Ain Puti, who placed fifth with 1,694 points. China's Yu-Ru Li achieved third position with 1,668 points. The Masters competitions are set to continue on Saturday, culminating in a medal ceremony for the top three finishers.
Saeed Al Hajri, a member of the Board of Directors of the Qatar Bowling Federation, highlighted the championship's success. He noted that the event was distinguished in terms of organization and technical quality, marking it as one of the most successful junior championships in Asia. Al Hajri expressed optimism for the Qatari team's performance, which has already garnered four medals, including a gold and silver in the doubles competition, a silver in the overall team classification, and a bronze in the four-person team event. As the championship draws to a close, the expectation is high for more podium finishes by the Qatari bowlers.