KUALA LUMPUR: Adelia Nur Irwan Syazalee put last year's heartbreak behind her when she claimed the girls' Open crown at the International Junior All-Stars bowling championships today.
The 16-year-old, who came second last year, beat Singapore's Althea Dang 227-204, 264-207 in the final and walked away with an RM18,000 top prize at the Sunway Mega Lanes.
Earlier in the three-way, one-game semi-final battle, Adelia chalked up a 224 to top the contest over compatriot Nur Hazirah Ramli (215) and Singapore's Lim Shi En (169).
Adelia made the top four cut for the stepladder finals after finishing third in the 10-game roll-off earlier in the morning.
She amassed 2,134 pinfalls to finish behind Althea (2,253) and Shi En (2,235), while Hazirah, the 2019 runner-up, claimed the last playoff spot after posting a 2,082 total.
Adelia, who was roped into the national youth squad this year, was clearly elated with the victory and was quick to credit her coach, Azidi Ameran, for playing a part in her success.
"The journey to victory was filled with challenges, but the support from my team, family, and especially my coach Azidi, and the lessons learned from the previous attempt in 2022 contributed to the sweet taste of success this year," she said.
"It's been a transformative year with the national youth team. The experience and guidance have undoubtedly enhanced my skills as a bowler, making me more confident and capable on the field.
"Winning amidst tough competition from accomplished bowlers from South Korea, Japan, and Singapore makes this victory extremely satisfying."
Despite being a relatively younger competitor, Adelia has been a standout performer in the local bowling scene in the past two years and will certainly be the one to watch.
This year, Adelia was part of the Malaysian side that claimed team bronze at the Asian Youth Championships and secured third in the girls' Open at the Malaysia Open.
Former national bowling queen Datuk Shalin Zulkifli had also sung praises for her after she helped Selangor win the team gold at the national Interstate championships.
There was no joy from the boys' division as none of the local bowlers made it to the stepladder finals.
The title went to South Korea's Bae Jung Hyun after he defeated compatriot Han Seong Min 197-210, 245-192, and pocketed the RM25,000 jackpot.
The highest Malaysian finisher was national youth member Muhammad Hariz Adlan, who finished seventh and missed the top four playoffs.
