| Fadhil Yunus |
MAZLAN bin Haji Yahya will be guaranteed of the Brunei Petanque League title if he makes at least the semi-finals in the December round after extending his lead at the top of the rankings to nine points with 71 points.
The petanque ace is in firm contention of landing the inaugural championship next month but faces competition in the form of national team-mate Wirna bin Haji Mohd Yassin who announced his intent to join the race after winning the November monthly title at the Petanque Field of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex recently.
The national thrower collected his second monthly title after winning the league back in August and also had a final appearance under his belt after losing to Hamidun Haji Abdul Hamid in July.
Wirna, fresh from his heroics as one third of the team who grabbed silver in the 10th Pan Pacific International Petanque Championship 2016 Nations Cup, ensured that there was no hangover from international success after a narrow 13-12 victory over Masli Haji Mohd Said in the final.
Azmi Eddy bin Mohd Harris dropped further in the standings and trailed championship leader Mazlan by 15 points and six points off the pace of the November winner.
Wirna made the championship race interesting after closing the gap having trailed 13 points at one stage in October.
Brunei Petanque League 2016 winners for the month of November pose for a group picture.
Mazlan will claim the title based on accumulation of total points irrespective of Wirna claiming a third monthly title next month, whose tally of 62 points kept faint hopes alive.
Hamidun got the Brunei Petanque League off to a blistering start after winning the month of July before Wirna seized control of the ranking table with victory in August.
Mazlan became the third different monthly winner in September before Hamidun claimed his second monthly title in October. However, inconsistent form has proved Hamidun’s own undoing of staying in contention to win the overall ranking table.
Wirna clawed his way into contention despite drawing a blank in the September ranking table.
The thrower, who won the coveted yellow jersey, faces a tall order of swapping places with Mazlan but has a slim chance of doing so which will require a total collapse if the latter does not make it out of the group stage.
Brunei Darussalam Petanque Federation President Abdul Ghani bin Dato Paduka Haji Ali presented the prizes.
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