KUALA LUMPUR – Despite stepping down as chief coach in 2022, Holloway Cheah’s impact on the national bowling squad remains unmistakable.
Qurratu’ain Izdihar Mohd Pozi, a product of Holloway’s special squad under the Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC), continued her flawless run at the Asian Junior Championships in Qatar by capturing the girls’ doubles gold medal yesterday with partner Adelia Nur Syazalee.
Their win came just a day after Qurratu’ain secured gold in the girls’ singles event, giving Malaysia’s Under-18 squad a dream start in Doha – despite earlier uncertainty due to political unrest in the Middle East.
In the doubles event, Qurratu’ain and Adelia amassed a 12-game total of 2,440 pinfalls, finishing ahead of two Chinese Taipei pairings. Ho Yi-Qing and Huang Hsin-Tsen scored 2,242 for silver, while Li Yi-Rou and Chen Yun-Ying took bronze with 2,222.
Speaking to Scoop, team manager Maradona Chok said: “Qurratu’ain, along with Ethan Damien Goh, were part of MTBC’s special squad under Holloway last year (post retirement), and it’s already bearing fruit. With both Ethan and Qurratu’ain now emerging strongly, it’s a good sign.
“This bodes well for us ahead of the Asian Youth Championships in Kuala Lumpur at the end of August.
“In the doubles event, the girls complemented each other well and delivered the gold, as expected. They will now shift their focus to the team event. Chinese Taipei have shown strong form, but we’ll aim to keep our shots in the pocket and stay composed.”
Both Qurratu’ain and Adelia are fired up to continue their golden streak.
“Our next target is the team event, because that’s where our true strength lies. Team Malaysia has great chemistry, and I really hope we’ll deliver,” said Adelia in a brief recorded interview.
Meanwhile, Malaysia also picked up two bronze medals in the boys’ category despite tough competition.
In the boys’ singles event on Sunday, Muhammad Aqil Faizal finished third, while in the doubles yesterday, Muhammad Affan Azmi and Kho Yek Zhen secured the final podium spot with a 12-game total of 2,582 pinfalls. The Malaysians placed behind two Qatari pairings who posted 2,690 and 2,669 pinfalls respectively, to claim gold and silver. – July 30, 2025