Emma: New synthetic greens a huge challenge for lawn bowlers
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s bid to win the bulk of the golds in lawn bowls at next month’s Kuala Lumpur SEA Games could be derailed by the tricky greens.
The national team were put to the test in the three-day pre-SEA Games tournament at the newly-refurbished National Lawn Bowls Centre in Bukit Kiara and could only manage to win four golds out of the eight events.
Games rivals Brunei, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines also took part in the tournament which ended yesterday.
The Games-bound national men’s team only won one title – the fours – through Zulhilmie Redzuan- Daeng Dhadyry Dahasry- Safuan Said- Izzat Shameer Dzulkeple.
What was surprising was the national back-up players managed to upstage the Games-bound seniors to win the men’s pairs and triples.
Malaysia’s other three golds came from the women’s category through Emma Firyana Saroji (singles), Siti Zalina AhmadAuni Fathiah Kamis (pairs) and fours (Nur Ain Nabilah Termizi-Nurul Alyani JamilNur Fidrah Noh-Nor Hashimah Ismail).
Emma, who won the World Champion of Champions title in 2015, said the new synthetic green in Bukit Kiara was very challenging.
“Everyone was struggling to adapt to the tricky greens. I even lost a game in the preliminary stage,” said Emma.
At the Aug 19-30 Games, the Malaysia Lawn Bowls Federation (MLBF) have targeted a five-gold haul out of the eight events.
They have named a strong pool of players – including four former world champions Safuan (2008 World Bowls), Mohd Hizlee Abdul Rais ( 2012 World Champion of Champions), Siti Zalina (2015 World Cup) and Emma – for the Games.