1 week Ago By TAN MING WAI
KUALA LUMPUR: Ethan Damien Goh underlined his status as one of the brightest prospects in Malaysian bowling after successfully defending his boys' open title at the ongoing Malaysian Open, while Adania Redzwan clinched top honours in the girls' open category.Ethan, who joined the national youth team earlier this year, came out on top in the eight-game finals at Sunway Mega Lanes on Sunday (April 13), rolling a total of 1,820 pinfalls.The 15-year-old finished a commanding 98 pins ahead of teammate Wan Muhd Zarif Ikram Wan Mazlan, who settled for second place while Sweden's Noel Hagland Torgersen took third on 1,718.
Adania was equally impressive in the girls' division, dominating the field with an impressive 1,840. Fellow national youth bowler Anis Hannani Romzi finished second on 1,746 followed by Sarawak's Anathacia Gadding John Lon in third (1,718).Ethan, who pocketed RM8,000 for his efforts, was elated with his back-to-back triumph.
"I'm really happy and excited to defend the title," said Ethan, who turned heads in 2023 by finishing fourth in the same event at just 13 years old."I've definitely improved a lot since joining the national youth squad. My sparring sessions, consistency and ability to repeat my shots have all moved a step up.
"Ethan has been earmarked as a future star since he swept all age group titles - including the Under-23 category - at the 2022 Brunswick Youth Challenge.His early success has drawn comparisons to national bowling ace Rafiq Ismail, who also made headlines with his achievements at a similar age.Ethan was drafted into the Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC) Special Squad last year where he trains under the guidance of former national head coach Holloway Cheah.
"I definitely look up to Rafiq as my idol and hope to follow in his footsteps. But first, I need to break into the senior squad. I'm giving myself two to three years to do that," said Ethan.
"My short-term goal is to become a world youth champion."Buoyed by his latest win, Ethan is now hoping to challenge more experienced campaigners in the men's Open category as well.The Masters qualifying rounds for the men's and women's Open divisions have been ongoing since last Monday and will continue until Friday, with Ethan currently projected to make the 40-man cut.
Meanwhile, Adib Razali and R. Piresthisha emerged as champions in the boys' and girls' graded categories respectively while Singapore's Paiman Dali and Katherine Ong took home the men's and women's senior titles.© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd.
