SUKMA Lawn Bowls: Unfancied Kedah Surprise The Competition with Gold Double

By Muhammad Ammar Shafiq Hamzah

KUCHING, Aug 23 (Bernama) -- The Kedah lawn bowls team, arriving in Sarawak as underdogs, ended their 2024 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) campaign with a bang, clinching two gold medals at the Sarawak Lawn Bowl Arena here today.

Kedah's first gold came from Adriana Sufiyya Mohammad Faizul and Puteri Nur Annissa Sofea Muhamad Shukor in the women’s pairs final, defeating their ‘neighbours’, Perlis duo Ainaa Nabilah Muhammad Afandi and Siti Nur Hadziqah Jasly Rofizy 19-7.

Their second came through the women’s triples, when the team comprising Amal Imtiyaz Mohd Zulkifli, Ku Nurizzwani Syamimi Ku Azham, Nur Nafisha Mohd Nor Nazri and Qaleesya Elfira Yusof took down Sabah 17-9.

Kedah team manager Zainuddin Mat Isa said his charges went beyond the team’s initial expectations. 

“Our initial target was to just a medal of any colour, not putting any pressure on our bowlers as many of them, except for two, are new faces,” he told reporters here today. 

In individual men’s action, Johor’s Amirul Danial Abdul Rahim secured the gold by overcoming Sabah’s Muhammad Afif Aiman Mohd Affendy with a score of 21-15.

Sabah's lawn bowls team, comprising Asmirul Arispadillah, Asnirul Arispadillah, Elldy Maxcanzie Zosmi, Mohammad Raihan Norkizan and Nur Azami Azlie, however, redeemed themselves by taking the gold in the men’s fours event after defeating Perak 15-9.

Lawn bowls at this edition of the Games offered a total of nine gold medals.

-- BERNAMA