INCHEON, SOUTH KOREA: Bowler Shaker Ali Hussain delivered the perfect gift to kick off Eid celebrations in the UAE when he bagged the bronze medal in the masters competition at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games at the Anyang Hogye Gymnasium on Thursday evening.
In second place at the end of Wednesday’s qualifying round for the top-16 bowlers, Hussain slipped by to third at the end of 16 games on the second day. But that was just enough to give the 46-year-old the opportunity of battling for silver against Hong Kong’s Wu Siu Hong.
However, the left-hander returned with a below-par score of 183 as his opponent went through to the gold medal match against home favourite Park Jong-woo and left the UAE bowler with a bronze medal. Park went on to take gold.
Another UAE bowler, Hussain Al Suwaidi, finished in sixth.
Hussain, a three-time medallist at the 2002 Busan Asian Games, was pleased with his strong finish. “It was important for us [the UAE bowling team] to return home with at least one medal after coming close to opening our account in the men’s trios and the men’s team of five competitions. I am happy and this is a perfect Eid gift for the people of the UAE,” Hussain told Gulf News.
The UAE national team’s new coach, William Rowe, paid tribute to the bronze medallist. “A bowler of his experience never gives up. He is not too emotional. He never gives up. He just digs in. He is never rattled and that’s the hallmark of a great player,” Rowe said.
Bowling the mandatory eight games on the second day of qualifying in the men’s masters, Hussain rolled a poor seventh — his lowest at these Asian Games. “But he was not rattled. He simply continued and ensured he put himself in a position to contest for the medal,” Rowe added.
