Dubai: Oman’s Ghalib Al Bu Saidi took over as the leader at the end of the eighth day of qualifying in the open category of the Fifth Dubai International Bowling Tournament being held at the Dubai Bowling Centre on Wednesday.
At the end of the seventh day on Tuesday, Ebrahim Al Za’abi had been at the top with a total pin-fall of 2,016, chased down by Filipino Anthony Balabbo and Shaker Ali Hassan in third.
However, after nine games, Al Bu Saidi assumed leadership with a total of 2,067, leaving the UAE’s Mahmoud Al Attar in second place with 2,037 and Hussain Al Suwaidi third just nine pins worse off.
The highlight for Al Bu Saidi was a perfect game four, while the Omani was matched by the UAE’s Abdullah Al Eqab, who rolled 300 in the sixth game but stood in ninth overall despite that effort.
In the women’s competition, Samantha Hannan from the UK continued her fine form at the top of the leaderboard with a total of 1,773, leaving Uella Marcial of the Philippines in second and the UAE’s Khuloud Akram third.
Obaid Al Sa’adi was at the top in the youth competition with a total of 1,873, while Juan Rafael Vargas mounted a good challenge in second with just six pins separating the two. Hannan was in third with a total of 1,768.
Organised by the Emirates Bowling Federation (EBF), the tournament is being held in co-ordination with the Dubai Sports Council (DSC). A string of outstanding bowlers have landed, making the qualifying rounds very interesting.
The qualifying rounds will continue through this week, leading up to the top 24 bowlers advancing to the next round. The finals of the youth and women’s competitions will be held on October 12, while the open category finals are scheduled for October 14.
