KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's defending men's team champions staged a remarkable fightback to keep their title defence alive as both national squads advanced to the knockout stage of the IBF World Cup in Munich on Tuesday.
The qualifying rounds, held over two days, saw both Malaysian teams finish strongly to secure their places in the last 16.
After winning just two of their opening six matches in Group D, the quartet of Rafiq Ismail, Timmy Tan, Tun Hakim Tun Hasnul Azam and Ahmad Muaz Fishol produced five consecutive victories to snatch the fourth and final qualifying spot on Tuesday.
The Malaysians defeated Kuwait, Guatemala, the Netherlands, Serbia and Cyprus, all by 2-0 margins, to finish with seven wins and four defeats for 21 points.
They ended level with Denmark and the Netherlands but prevailed in a roll-off to secure their place in the last 16.
Rafiq and Co won the tightly contested roll off 192 to Denmark's 182 and Netherlands 177.
Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC) secretary-general Maradona Chok praised the quartet's determination after their difficult start.
"The boys showed tremendous character. They knew they were in a difficult position, but they never gave up. To win five matches in a row when it mattered most says a lot about their fighting spirit," said Maradona.
Their reward is a challenging encounter against Group A winners Qatar today, with a quarter-final berth at stake.
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It was a timely return to form for the same quartet who made history by capturing Malaysia's maiden men's team gold at last year's World Cup in Hong Kong, where they defeated Puerto Rico 3-2 in the final.
The strong finish also provided a welcome boost after all four failed to reach the knockout stage of the singles competition, with Rafiq, last year's silver medallist, coming closest following a dramatic roll-off defeat.
"This is the same team that made history last year. They know what it takes to win at this level, and hopefully, they can carry this momentum into the knockout rounds," Maradona added.
Meanwhile, the national women's team were equally impressive, finishing third in Group B with 33 points after recording 11 wins and just two defeats across 13 rounds, including two automatic victories from byes.
Led by newly crowned singles silver medallist Natasha Roslan, the team comprising Sin Li Jane, Adelia Nur Irwan Syazalee and Nur Hazirah Ramli finished behind unbeaten Macao, China (39 points) and Sweden (33).
The Malaysians lost their opening match to Sweden and another to Macau, but otherwise enjoyed a productive qualifying campaign.
They closed with five straight 2-0 victories over Greece, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Poland and China to comfortably secure their place among the last 16.
The women will face Australia in today's knockout round as they seek to extend their impressive run and move a step closer to another World Cup medal.
"The girls have also done exceptionally well. Natasha's silver was a great start, and the team have shown they are hungry for more. Both teams are still in the fight, and that's exactly where we want to be," said Maradona.
Natasha narrowly missed out on defending her women's singles crown after losing 2-1 to France's Manon Clement in Sunday's final.
The Malaysian women also have unfinished business after finishing runners-up to the United States at last year's World Cup, losing a closely contested final 3-2.
With both national teams through, Malaysia remain in contention for a golden finish to their campaign, with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals scheduled for Wednesday.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd