Ramadan Bowling Tournament: Naif Oqab clinches Open Division title

Sport360 staff 00:51 04/07/2016
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  • Oqab defends his title

    Emirati Naif Oqab topped a field of more than 200 bowlers to clinch his second consecutive Open Division title in the annual Ramadan Bowling Tournament in the capital. Oqab triumphed over tough competition, keeping his cool under pressure to claim the coveted trophy with a score of 2,977.

    Uella Marcial of Philippines narrowly missed out on the top spot, taking second place with a score of 2,968, whilst Emirati Shaker Ali came third with 2,958 points.

    In the field of 47 juniors, British Samantha Hannan took the top spot with 1,256 points, with young Emirati Khamis Al Shamsi coming a close second with 1,232 points.

    The pair also competed in the Open division, with Hannan placing sixthand Al Shamsi qualifying for the semi-final round. After losing an impressive 45 kg, 18-year-old Al Shamsi used his improved athleticism to withstand the competition of both divisions.

    He said “Bowling is an interesting sport and we meet a lot of new people. Competition is much tougher in the open division and the talent of the older bowlers inspires and pushes you to keep bowling.”

    The tournament’s Graded Division for amateur bowlers saw Filipino talent Shean Aguas take top honours for a second year running after bowling a stunning 222.0 average throughout the final.

    In the Disabled division, Walid Mohamed Arjumand bowled an impressive score of 538 points to win the Men’s event title. The Ladies event was won by Nasra Ahmed Al Seqatri, who bowled her way into first place with 332 points.

    The event, supported by National Drilling Company (NDC) and hosted by Zayed Sports City, is in its 17th year and witnessed record-breaking 25 percent increase in participation from 2015.

    Fuelled by the excitement of the World Bowling Championships, which were held at Zayed Sports City in 2014 and 2015, the sport has witnessed an unprecedented boost in popularity, particularly amongst younger Emiratis.

    The Youth Division of the 2016 tournament witnessed a 176 percent increase in participation on 2015, most of them being UAE nationals. Ahmad Khamis Al Ali, team manager at the UAE Bowling Federation explained the phenomenon.

    “We are very happy to have so many young Emirati bowlers. The federation is providing them coaching, equipment, and competitive opportunities abroad so they can grow. This is important because they are the future of the sport,” he opined.

    Barry Bremner, general manager at Zayed Sports City, said: “The growth of our Ramadan Bowling Tournament this year is unprecedented and we are delighted with the results. Specifically, to see that young UAE nationals are embracing the sport validates our efforts and the support from NDC, in addition to the time put in by bowlers and their coaches.”

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