AS a child, Amirul Danial Abdul Rahim (pic) would accompany his father Abdul Rahim Damam to the Bayuemas Indoor Lawn Bowls Stadium almost every day.
At 12, he decided to take up the sport. And just a year later, he was representing Johor in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in Sarawak in 2016.
But it took four Games before he finally landed the gold, by beating Sabah’s Afif Aiman Affendy 21-15 in the final, again in Sarawak.
But his father was not around to see his victory at the Sarawak Lawn Bowls Centre in Petra Jaya yesterday. Abdul Rahim died on Aug 28 last year.
Amirul immediately hugged his coaches and told them: “This is for my father.”
“It was an emotional win for me because when he passed away last year, I told myself that I would fulfil his dream of winning the Sukma gold and I managed to do that,” said the Mass Communication student at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).
“My dad and I shared a close bond, so his passing had an impact on me. I just trained hard, now I have got the gold,” said Amirul, who won silver in the singles in the last edition.
Amirul said he would now focus on the Higher Education Ministry Sports Games (Sukipt) and will again go for the singles gold, although he will be up against older bowlers.
If Amirul had his father to thank, Kedah lawn bowler Adrianna Sufiyya Mohd Faizul was grateful to her mother.
Adrianna, together with her partner Puteri Nur Anissa Sofea Shukor, beat Perlis’ Ainaa Nabilah Affendy and Siti Nur Hadziqah Jasly Rofizy 19-7 in the final.
The 16-year-old skipper, who thanked her mother Nor Azira Azizan for picking up the sport, said: “I just stayed confident and worked together with my partner. Age is just a number.”
“My mother actually forced me to play the sport two years ago. At first, I was curious but as I kept playing, I grew to love it.
“I did ask my mother why she pestered me to take the sport. She just told me that I would achieve something in it.
“Her words have come true.”
RESULTS
Boys singles final: Amirul Danial Abdul Rahim (Joh) bt Afif Aiman Affendy (Sab) 21-15
Bronze medal playoff: Wan Mohd Haikal Wan Rozali (Trg) bt Afiq Azman (Ft) 20-17
Fours final: Asmirul Arispadillah, Asnirul Arispadillah, Eldy Maxcanzie Zosmi and Raihan Norkizan (Sab) bt Firman Hassanei Shariati Abdul Halim, Ali Imran Ahmad Ridzuan, Na’iim Syahmi Azian and Danish Nasrullah Hasmarol Shah (Prk) 15-9
Bronze medal playoff: Irfan Fikri Mazelan, Alif Hakimi Mokhtar, Rafieq Mohd Ridwan and Razieq Ali Ridwan (Ked) bt Aniq Asyraaf Ashaari, Ammar Zaquan Jamaluddin, Fairuz Iskandar Jaffar and Haziq Mat Yusoff (Trg) 16-14
Girls triples final: Amal Imtiyaz Zulkifli, Ku Nurizzwani Ku Azham and Nur Nafisha Nazri (Ked) bt Adilah Justine, Nur Zarifah Wajihah Zaidi and Nurnajmi Jannah Jali (Sab) 17-9
Bronze medal playoff: Anies Amera Ahmad Adzha, Nur Ain Kemilia Sukri and Nur Hidayah Husna Abdullah (Trg) bt Ainur Umaira Yusri, Ifti Nuraina Dayini Suraimy and Nur Syaza Irdina Rohaimi (Pen) 13-10
Pairs final: Adrianna Sufiyya Mohd Faizul-Puteri Nur Anissa Sofea Shukor (Ked) bt Ainaa Nabilah Affendi-Siti Nur Hadziqah Jasly Rofizy (Per) 19-7
Bronze medal playoff: Nur Najla Damia Mustakim-Nur Najwa Batristia Mustakim (Sel) bt Nuremilda Jazeemi Jali-Suzileyana Zosmi Ronny (Sab) 17-9.
