Kuala Lumpur: National bowler Izz Naqiuddin Putera Islahuddin could not contain his excitement after stunning his idol and 2018 world champion Muhammad Rafiq Ismail on home ground at the Kuala Lumpur International Open Bowling Championships 2025 held at Sunway Megalanes here today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the 21-year-old rising star delivered a stellar performance to clinch the Men’s Open Masters Final title with a total pinfall of 1,993, edging out Ahmad Azriq Izam (1,951) and Ahmad Aidil Abdul Halim (1,882), who finished second and third, respectively. Izz expressed immense satisfaction and excitement in defeating his idol, Muhammad Rafiq, marking his second victory over the champion, the first being in Singapore.

Izz Naqiuddin shared that this victory was particularly special as it was his maiden title at Sunway, the venue where he began his training at 19. He credited his success to maintaining focus and consistency throughout the tournament and avoiding drastic changes to his game. His hard w
ork paid off with a prize money of RM30,000 and he rated his performance a ’10 out of 10′.

This victory signifies the third major title of Izz’s career, adding to his previous triumphs at the Penang International Bowling Festival in 2023 and the Singapore Open in 2024. Meanwhile, Muhammad Rafiq settled for 16th place with a total pinfall of 1,732.

In the women’s division, national bowler Nur Syazwani Sahar emerged as the top performer with a pinfall of 1,776. Nur Syazwani noted that she faced challenges during the first five games due to a ‘bad pair’ but managed a strong comeback in the final game. She expressed satisfaction with her performance and set her sights on breaking into the top 10 at the upcoming Singapore Open.