Bowlers not good enough to reach quarter-finals

DESPITE having won all of their matches yesterday and on Wednesday and coming up with the best performance among the eight disciplines that Brunei took part in, the national women's doubles lawn bowls team was not good enough to be the only national team to make it to the quarter-finals of the 2008 World Bowls Championships at the Bowlside Bowling Club in Christchurch, New Zealand.

After a dismal one win and six losses after Tuesday's round of matches, Hjh Amalia Hj Metali and Hjh Suhana Hj Mohd Daud made a remarkable turn around with wins against Spain and Samoa on Wednesday and Argentina and Zambia yesterday.

However, their overall record of five wins and six losses puts them sixth in Section 1.

Twenty-four countries divided into two sections are competing in the tournament, and only the top four countries in each section qualify for the quarter-finals.

The duo beat Spain's Carol Meare and Pam Cole 26-17 on Wednesday and won 21-19 against Samoa's Manuia Porter and Lufi Taulealo on the same day.

Yesterday saw them beat Argentina's Maria Vasquez de Cabrera and Alicia Goodliffe 25-15 as well as defeat Zambia's Margaret Mponda and Eddah Mpezeni 20-18.

Previously, the men's fours team was thought to have had the best chance of making it into the last eight.

But despite having won their match against Guersney on Wednesday, the team was eliminated from the tournament after losing to Hong Kong on the same day and falling to England and Canada yesterday.

The country's only real hope for qualification into the quarter-finals after coming up with two wins, a draw and three losses as of Tuesday night, the quartet of Hj Osman Hj Yahya, Md Salleh Hitam, Mohd Israt Amiruddin Hj Abd Gani and Pg Md Salleh Chuchu Pg Hj Tuah needed to win their remaining four matches to make it into the next stage.

However, the 22-9 win against Guersney on Wednesday came after a 22-9 loss to Hong Kong, and 21-11 losses to Section 1 runners-up England and a 19-13 defeat to Canada marked them out of contention for qualification into the last eight.

The men's fours team finished ninth in Section 1 with a record of three wins, one draw and six losses.

2007 Thailand Southeast Asian (SEA) Games men's singles gold medallist Hj Naim Brahim was only able to muster two wins, a 21-7 result against Norfolk Island's Neil Clancy Tall last Sunday and a 21-16 victory over Israel's Daniel Keet yesterday.

Competing in Section 1, Hj Naim placed 10th with a record of two wins and eight losses.

Meanwhile, the women's triples team of Amp Hjh Lilymariani Amp Hj Salleh, Hjh Ajijah Muntol and Norzainah Ahmad finished last in Section 1 after only a 21-15 win against Ireland on Monday to their name.

The Brunei Times