Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
AHMAD Taufiq Murni further cemented his status as Brunei's top cueist after clinching the Brunei Cue Sports Association (BCSA) National 9-Ball Ranking Challenge Grand Final 2016 on Sunday.
Taufiq, who won six out of the eight legs leading up to the grand final, defeated Lim Wei Kok 13-3 in the title decider at the Pro X Pool House.
He defeated Pg Md Faiq Hafizuddin Pg Hj Jalaludin 9-6 in the last-16 before dispatching Md Azim Hj Abu Bakar 9-5 in the quarter-finals.
Taufiq progressed to the final after an 11-5 victory against Pg Anak Hj Awadi ZH Pg Hj Latifuddin, and the 28-year-old said he never expected to win by such a big margin in the final.
"I wasn't expecting such a scoreline in the final. My game went extremely well, including my breaks," said Taufiq in an interview with BruSports recently.
"Kok also made a lot of illegal breaks which allowed me to clear the tables.
"Overall, it was not an easy tournament as I faced players the likes of (Teo Chee) Soon, Wadi and (Ak Saiful) Azri (Pg Roslee)," he added.
"But I just played my best in every leg, and most importantly the grand final," he continued.
When asked on his plans for the future, Taufiq replied: "I have plans to go to as many tournaments as possible this year, but it will be dependent on sponsors.
"I'm targeting the China Open in Shanghai and also the Golden Break 9-Ball Championship in Malaysia.
"I"m also thinking of the SEA Games (in Malaysia) if I can go. I want to win a medal at the SEA Games as it has never been done before," concluded the national cueist.
The grand final featured the top-16 players who accumulated the most points over eight legs - with the tournament kicking off last April.
