Natasha-Li Jane win bronze at World Games in Alabama

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's women's bowling doubles pair Natasha Mohamed Roslan-Sin Li Jane successfully ensured that the national team did not come home empty-handed when they clinched the bronze medal in the women's doubles event at the World Games 2022 in Alabama in the United States early today.

The duo had to endure fierce competition from Juliana Franco-Clara Guerrero of Columbia before winning 235-204 and 247-237, according to the World Games' website.

The victory at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex was even sweeter for the two national players, especially Li Jane, as she got her revenge on Guerrero after her defeat at the final-16 stage of the women's singles event earlier.

Natasha-Li Jane, however, missed the gold rush after losing 213-248, and 215-225 to Mika Guldbaek-Mai Ginger Jensen of Denmark in the semifinals yesterday.

Guldbaek-Ginger Jensen continued their dominance this morning and bagged the gold medal after defeating host pair Julia Bond-Shannon O'keefe 199-184, 182-226, 226-177.

Natasha-Li Jane kicked off their campaign by defeating Taishaye Naranjo-Pamela Perez of Puerto Rico 234-164, 203-178 in the final-16 stage before showing the exit to Denise Blankenzee-Samantha Greiner of Netherlands with 259-144, 194-188 in the quarterfinals.

Earlier, Malaysia's challenge in the men's singles event ended in the quarterfinals when Muhammad Rafiq Ismail and Timmy Tan lost to their respective opponents from Canada, and their pairing in the men's doubles event did not go past the final-16 stage as they were shown the exit by the host pair.

The national squad's best performance at the World Games was in the Lahti 1997 edition in Finland, during which Sharon Low-Daniel Lim bagged the gold medal in the mixed-doubles event. The last time Malaysia managed to clinch a medal was in the Kaohsiung 2009 edition in Taiwan, with two bronze.

-- BERNAMA