SUBANG JAYA: Rising bowling sensation Imran Azmi moved a step closer to emulating his idol, Tun Hakim Tun Hasnul Azam, by capturing the boys' Under-12 title at the Milo Storm International Junior All-Stars at Sunway Mega Lanes on Monday.
In a thrilling one-game sudden-death final, Imran, a trainee of Federal Territories' sports development programme Wipers, displayed remarkable composure to edge Singapore's Lyndon Lin 185-176.
The victory came after Imran dominated the preliminary rounds, topping the 22-competitor standings with an eight-game total of 1,724 pins, leading second-placed Lyndon (1,659) by 65 pins.
South Korea's Han Sung Yong secured the final stepladder spot with 1,644 pins before falling to Lyndon 243-230 in the first stepladder match.
This international triumph adds to Imran's impressive domestic record this year, where he claimed six out of seven titles in the National Junior Circuit, including the Grand Prix Finals at the same venue two weeks ago.
"This is my first international win and beating competitors from Singapore and South Korea feels incredibly special," said Imran, who recently completed his primary education at Sekolah Kebangsaan Kajang Utama.
The young champion isn't resting on his laurels, setting his sights on Tuesday's Under-15 Finals.
"I want to challenge older opponents. If I can improve my average from today's 215 to 220 and above, I might have a chance," he said.
"My ultimate goal is to represent Malaysia and bring glory to my country, just like Tun Hakim. His style of bowling is so cool. I hope to make the national team within four to five years."
Imran's dominance extends to school competitions, where he swept all the five gold medals in the Under-12 category at this year's Malaysian School Sports Council (MSSM) Championships.
In the girls' Under-12 category, Malaysian Ayra Deliza Kamarul Azizi secured third place behind Singapore's Itzel Yeap and South Korea's Kim Ye Jin.
Ayra narrowly lost to Ye Jin 204-190 in the first stepladder match, while top seed Itzel claimed the title with a commanding 225-174 victory.
The Under-12 category, introduced at the prestigious International Junior All-Stars in 2006, has proven to be a launching pad for future champions, including Malaysia's world champions Rafiq Ismail (2009 runner-up) and Natasha Roslan (2008 winner).