Emma aims to lift third crown of the year Down Under

PETALING JAYA: High-riding national lawn bowler Emma Firyana Saroji is aiming for her third crown this year.

The policewoman has set her sights on the World Champion of Champions women’s singles title at St Johns Park in New South Wales, Australia, next month (Oct 30-Nov 5).

Emma, the 2015 World Champion of Champions winner, picked up the national singles title in February. Then, last month, she starred in the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games where she won the women’s singles gold for Malaysia’s first since Brunei 1999.

“I am honoured to compete in the World Bowls again. All my hard work has paid off. But I’m not going to rest on my laurels because the World Bowls is going to be tougher with all the best players from the world. I hope to win my third singles title for this year,” said Emma.

Mohd Hizlee Abdul Rais made Malaysia proud when he won the World Champion of Champions men’s singles title in 2012 but Emma, making her debut then, failed to get past the group stage.

In 2015, Emma came back with a vengeance to win the world title by defeating Nici Neal of South Africa 9-3, 9-8 in Gold Coast, Australia.

Malaysia Lawn Bowls Federation (MLBF) secretary Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Zin said that the selection process for the World Bowls event “is done on merit”.

“The national singles champions (men and women) will represent Malaysia at the World Bowls. This has been our practice all this while,” he said.

National men’s singles champion Izzat Shameer Dzulkeple will compete in the World Bowls this year after defeating 2017 World Cup singles silver medal winner Mohd Soufi Rusli in the national championships at the Bayuemas Indoor Bowls in Pandamaran, Klang.

Emma won her ticket after beating two- time Commonwealth Games singles champions Siti Zalina Ahmad. In the KL Games, Emma defeated Brunei’s Amali Matali 21-11 in the final.

Malaysia will also compete in the 12th Asia Bowls and 10th Under-25 championships in New Delhi, India, from Oct 3-9.

Malaysia will be represented by Mohd Soufi Rusli, Muhd Hizlee Abdu Rais, Mohd Syamil Syazwan Ramli, Zulhilmie Redzuan, Fairul Izwan Abdul Muin (men); Siti Zalina Ahmad, Azlina Arshad, Auni Fathiah Kamis, Nur Ain Nabilah Termizi and Zuraini Khalid (women).

The Under-25 team comprise Mohd Naufal Azmi, Daeng Dhadyry Dahasry (men); and Noorazlina Zakaria and Nurul Alyani Jamil (women).