Emirati brothers Sultan and Ahmed Al Qubaisi held stunning form against fellow countrymen and those of nine other nationalities to win the Youth and Graded divisions respectively. Their father, U.A.E. Bowling Union Head Mohamed Khalifa Al Qubaisi, took second in the main division. In total, 91 Emirati registrations were accepted at the event. Participation by U.A.E. women more than doubled from 2013. Commenting on the high calibre of competitors, Mohamed Al Qubaisi said: "The Ramadan Bowling Tournament is the best possible practice the U.A.E. national team can get in order to reach top form ahead of their upcoming busy schedule of international competitions.”
Included on the tournament schedule is World Tenpin Bowling Men's Championship, which will roll into Zayed Sports City from 4-15 December. Competition such as this ahead of the planet's biggest event will be invaluable in the coming months.
Tournament champion Omani Ghalib Al Busaidi said: "The competition was very fierce for the title, with some of the best bowlers from the U.A.E. national team participating. I'm very glad that the long hours of practice have paid off. The interest in the game of bowling in the Arab world has increased dramatically in the last few years. It is a beautiful game that requires high focus and is suitable for people of all ages.”
In addition to the efforts of Al Busaidi and Mohamed Al Qubaisi, Saudi Abdullah Al Dolijan took third place with a score of 3,399. British teenage bowling prodigy Samantha Hannan took fourth place and first place honours in the women's competition with a score of 3,365.
The international diversity and growth of Emirati competitors demonstrated demonstrating a fast-increasing growth and popularity for the sport in the U.A.E.. It further cemented the tournament as the biggest and best in the region, anchored by strong and a cash pot of Dh145,000 made possible by NDC. Abdalla Saeed Al-Suwaidi, CEO of National Drilling Company of Abu Dhabi (NDC) commented: "Sponsoring the Ramadan Tournament, an event which gathers people together, ties in with our values of community outreach and engagement.”
Source: Khaleej Times