YOUSEF Falah bagged the Masters Bowling Championship, organised by Awali Bowling Club and plaeyd at Bapco Club lanes in Awali.

Falah, nicknamed the "Golden Boy" who recently won the Sinai International Championship in Egypt, took the title following a 181-178 victory over bitter rival Yousif Al Ali in a neck-and-neck final.

The champion reached the final after bowling brilliantly in the semi-finals to lead the participants with a total pin fall of 1,399 and averaging 233.17. His games were 214, 203, 231, 279, 237 and 235.

A total of 24 bowlers, with the highest averages from the league played earlier in the season, qualified for this event where they played six games to select the top 12 for the quarter-finals.

The top 12 played another six games each in the semi-finals to select best five for the stepladder final round. In the stepladder, the sixth, fourth and fifth positions, namely Ali Aqeel, Yousif Al Ali and Ali Maroof played the first match.

Advance

Al Ali managed to advance into the semi-final by scoring 195 after Maroof and Aqeel were narrowly edged out with scores of 194 and 193, respectively.

Al Ali continued his run towards the title by beating Ahmed Al Gaoud 203-192, setting up a final clash with top seed Falah.

Al Ali managed to win the first final match 203-183, but could not keep the pace in the second and deciding game, which he lost by just a three-pin margin.

The top five players average were Falah (233.17), Al Gaoud (229.00), Ali Maroof (219.83), Al Ali (213.33) and Aqeel (212.83). Mohammed Hassan Janahi missed the cut by five pins averaging 212.00.

Noora Sultan, Mohammed Falah, Hameed Taqi, Mustafa Qaed, A Latif Rashid and Mohammed Al Jahromi took positions from seventh to 12th respectively.

Awali Bowling Club thanked Juma Abd Mohammed Establishment for sponsoring the event and making it an all-round success.