Lawn bowls eyes more medals at Commonwealth Games

Siti Zalina Ahmad in a file photo. She won the gold in lawn bowls at the 2002 Manchester and 2006 Melbourne Games.

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Lawn Bowls Federation (MLBF) are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to improve on their two-medal haul at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games from July 23-Aug 3.

MLBF secretary Capt (Rtd) Ahmad Shah Kazi Mohd said that 16 players have been undergoing centralised training since last July and the final squad of 10 (five men and five women) will be trimmed after a series of test matches and foreign training stints.

“Our aim is to put up a better show in Glasgow. We have a series of test matches and training stints to meet our goals,” said Ahmad on Tuesday.

Malaysia bagged a silver and a bronze at the last Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in 2010. Nor Hashimah Ismail-Zuraini Khalid took silver in the women’s pairs event while Khairul Annuar Abdul Kadir-Fairul Izwan Abdul Muin emerged as the bronze medallists.

Siti Zalina Ahmad, a two-time women’s singles gold medal winner at the Commonwealth Games, is among the national players who are in centralised training. 

She won back-to-back gold medals at the 2002 Manchester and 2006 Melbourne Games. However, she fell in the semi-finals of the New Delhi Games,

MLBF president Wan Nawawi Wan Ismail said that they have a mixed set of young and seasoned hands in centralised training and that “they are currently competing in the Australian Open”.

Among the veterans are Nor Hashimah Ismail, Azlina Arshad and Emma Fiyana Saroji (women), as well as Mohd Hizlee Abdul Rais and Fairul Izuan Abdul Muin (men).

The players are training under head coach Zuraidi Puteh and assistants Syed Mohd Syed akil and Haslah Hasan.

The squads
Men: Mohd Hizlee Abdul Rais, Fairul Izuan Abdul Muin, Mohd Fairuz Jabal, Mohd Amir, Zulhilmi Ridzuan, Mohd Syamil Syzwan, Mohd Azwan Shuhaimi, Mohd Saufi.
Women: Siti Zalina Ahmad, Nor Hashimah Ismail, Azlina Arshad, Norfidrah Nor, Norzafirah Mohd Noor, Zuraini Khalid, Emma Firyana Saroji, Nor Shafeeqah Yahya.