Lawn bowle rs on target for a bumper gold haul in New Delh i

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia are on course for a bigger gold medal haul in thee 12th Asia Bowls Championships in New Delhhi, India.

Having swept three out of the four gold medals at stake on Friday, the natiional lawn bowlers are looking good for at leeast another three golds from men’s singles and fours and women’s triples.

Last year, Malaysia emerge d overall champions with five golds, one silvers and one bronze in Bandar Seri Begawaan, Brunei.

Malaysia Lawn Bowls Federatioon (MLBF) secretary Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Zin expects their lawn bowlers to checck into the semi-final after their final roundd of group matches today.

“So far, so good. Our players are on course to qualify for the semi-finals in the three events,” said Syed Zainal from NewN Delhi yesterday.

National singles champion Mohd Soufi Rusli (pic) got off to a flyingg start after winning both his openning round matches in Group A agaiinst Japan (18-14) and Thailand (21-10)). Mohd Soufi, who won the KL SEA Gammes singles gold in August, will wrap up hihis group matches against his opponents from Brunei and Pakistan today.

The men’s fours team of Muhd Hizlee Abdul Rais, Zulhilmie Redzuan, Mohd Syamil Syazwan Ramli and Fairul Izwan Abd Muin are through to the semi-finals after winning both their Group G matches against Brunei (14-13) and Singapore (23-8). They will wrap up their campaign against China today.

The women’s triples team of Nur Ain Nabilah Tarmizi, Zuraini Khalid and Azlina Arshad won their opening Group M game against China 14-11 yesterday. They need one more win against either Thailand or Japan to clinch their semi-final berth.

The women’s pairs did not get a good start after losing their opening round match to Hong Kong 16-12.

On Friday, Siti Zalina Ahmad won her 10th Asian women’s singles title. The 38-year-old policewoman defeated Singapore’s Shermeen Lim 21-14 in the final.

They also won golds in men’s pairs through Muhammad Hizlee Abdul RaisFairul Izwan Abd Muin and the women’s fours of Auni Fathiah Kamis, Nur Ain Nabilah Tarmizi, Zuraini Khalid and Azlina Arshad.

The men’s triples team of Soufi, Zulhilmie and Syamil settled for bronze after losing to India in the semi-finals.

Malaysia are competing in all events in the men and women’s singles, pairs, triples and fours events.

The 10th Under-25 championships is also being held simultaneously in New Delhi.

Ten countries are competing in the two championships in New Delhi – Brunei, China, India, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Philippines.

In Brunei last year, Malaysia made a clean sweep of the Under-25 category by winning three golds – boys’ and girls’ singles and mixed pairs.