The 33-year-old Bruneian averaged 198.13 on the first day of the 45th QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup in Melaka, Malaysia, yesterday, and finished with a total of 1,585 pinfalls after the first block of eight games.
Finishing in the top half of the field, Ahmad Athery is now 43rd in the field of 87 players and is just ahead of Remy Ong Singapore's best player and one of Asia's leading bowlers.
Ahmad Athery will bowl another eight games today and tomorrow at the newly built 52-lane Melaka International Bowling Centre (MIBC) before the top 24 progress to the next round on Thursday.
National bowling coach Mike Griffith praised Ahmad Athery's performance but felt he could have done better.
"He had a solid performance but there were missed opportunities," said Griffith from Melaka.
"The lane conditions were surprisingly tough and not what we practised on during Sunday, so the scores were not as high as predicted.
"His last game was a 173, so if not for that he could have had an average of at least 200.
"He had two open frames in the last game which he should not have missed, and that cost him a finish ahead of his two idols," added the Australian.
Before he left for Melaka, Ahmad Athery said he was proud to be bowling with his idols Walter Ray Williams Jr of the United States and Paeng Nepomucino of the Philippines.
Recovering well from a fall during Saturday's unofficial practice, Ahmad Athery's finish yesterday was only 32 pinfalls away from Williams Jr and 41 from Nepomucino.
Griffith felt it could have been a different story though.
"After two games he was already ahead of Walter Ray," said Griffith, who has been in charge of the national team for the past four years.
"He was very nervous in the first three games and his palms were sweaty. He was struggling in his first two games but found his comfort zone after that and then came good."
Now only 85 pinfalls away from breaking the top-24, Griffith was confident Ahmad Athery could make up the numbers.
"His goal is a top-24 finish and a berth in the next round, and he can definitely do it," said Griffith.
"There are 16 games to go and he can easily make it up by improving by less than 10 pins each game," added the Melbourne native.
After the completion of 24 games on Wednesday, the competition will be cut to the top 24 men and women bowlers.
They will then go on to play a further eight games, and the field will be cut to eight bowlers after that, with the final to be contested on Sunday.
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