Mazlan Hj Yahya (L) receiving the medal from the Brunei Darussalam Petanque Federation Vice President, Hj Abdul Karim Hj Ahmad during the prize presentation on Friday. Picture: BT/Ak Fauzi Pg Salleh
MAZLAN Hj Yahya won the National Petanque Championship Singles Open third leg after defeating Abdul Afeq 13-3 at the Petanque Pitch of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas.
The win put Mazlan at the top of the 19-player league table with 45 points ahead of Masli Hj Mohd Said and Eddy Azmi Hj Harris who shared the second place with 36 points each. “We are now in the middle of the season and the tournament is getting more and more competitive,” said Mazlan in an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.
Last month’s winner Wirna Hj Mohd Yassin is third with 31 points while, Hj Hamidon Hj Abidin and Surtini Hj Abidin finished joint-fourth with 26 points each. Co-organised by the Brunei Darussalam Petanque Federation (BDPF) and the Department of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS), the fourth leg of the tournament will take place on October 25.
Contested in a round robin format followed by a double-knockout format, the tournament is competed over six legs. The top four players in the league will battle it out in December’s semi-finals and final.
The tournament serves as a platform for national coach Somsak Juychunprasert to scout for potential athletes and monitor the progress of national players ahead of major tournaments such as the 10th Pan Pacific Petanque Championship to be held in Thailand in November.
