THE formidable Malaysian team snared five of a possible eight senior gold medals at the 12th Asian Lawn Bowls Championships which concluded in India yesterday (9th October).
In a powerhouse display at the RK Puram’s Sports Complex in New Delhi, the Malaysians, in their distinctive yellow and black Malay Tiger outfits captured gold in the men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s pairs and the women’s fours; the hosting India team clinched gold medals in the men’s and women’s triples; while a Singapore quartet claimed the men’s fours championship.
Special congratulations to Malaysia’s legendary Siti Zalina Ahmad, who won an unprecedented tenth women’s singles gold medal in the championships.
In the keenly contested Under-25 competition, India claimed another gold medal when its rising star Alok Lakra won the boy’s singles crown, while Hong Kong China’s teen sensation Gloria Ha added the girl’s singles gold to her imposing list of achievements, then joined forces with James Po to collect the mixed pairs title.
12th Asian Lawn Bowls Championships, New Delhi, India
Men’s competition:
Singles: gold: Soufi Rusli (MAS); silver: Tony Cheung (HKC), bronze: Koko Ontong (Thailand), Errol Johnson (Sri Lanka).
Pairs: gold: Malaysia (Hizlee Rais, Fairul Muin); silver: Brunei (Ampuan Ahad, Pengiran Tengah); bronze: China (Yongmin Mao, Liu Qiang), India (Anand Narzary, Krishna Xalxo).
Triples: gold: India (Chandan Kumar Singh, Sunil Chhetry, Dinesh Kumar), silver: Thailand (Anuruk Rodmanee, Patawee Montien, Koko Ontong), bronze: Hong Kong China (Tony Cheung, Timmy Kwong, Kenneth Fung), Malaysia (Syamil Ramli, Ijoi Redzuan, Soufi Rusli).
Fours: gold: Singapore (Anthony Loh, Melvin Tan, Kevin Pang, Bernard Foo); silver: India (Dinesh Kumar, Chandan Kumar Singh, Mridul, Krishna Xalxo); bronze: Hong Kong China (CT Wong, Terry Kung, Timmy Kwong, Kenneth Fung), Malaysia (Hizlee Rais, Syamil Ramli, Ijoi Redzuan, Fairul Muin).
Women’s competition:
Singles: gold: Siti Zalina Ahmad (MAS); silver: Shermeen Lim (SIN); bronze: Helen Cheung (HKC), Farzana Khan (IND).
Pairs: gold: Malaysia (Auni Kamis, Siti Zalina Ahmad); silver: Singpore (Shermeen Lim, Tammy Tham); bronze: Hong Kong China (Helen Cheung, Jenny Miu), Thailand (Sue Bryant, Chamaipron Kotchawong).
Triples: gold: India (Farzana Khan, Nayanmoni Saikia, Pinki); silver: Malaysia (Azlina Arshad, Nabilah Tarmizi, Zuraini Khalid); bronze: Thailand (Thanom Kanngandee, Thamonphan Lapcharoenpongporn, Tomak Nannapat), Hong Kong China (Phyllis Wong, Elisa Cheung, Yunse Ha).
Fours: gold: Malaysia (Nabilah Tarmizi, Auni Kamis, Zuraini Khalid, Azalina Arshad); silver: Hong Kong China (Phyllis Wong, Elisa Cheung, Jenny Miu, Yunse Ha); bronze: Singapore (Lim Kwee Choon, Low Choon Geok, Amira Goh, Tammy Tham), Thailand (Chamaipron Kotchawong, Thanom Kanngandee, Thamonphan Lapcharoenpongporn, Tomak Nannapat).
Under-25 competition:
Boys singles: Alok Lakra (India); silver: James Po (Hong Kong China); bronze: Naufal Azmi (Malaysia), Neret Aiangetuen (Thailand).
Girls singles: gold: Gloria Ha (Hong Kong China); silver: Nurul Alyani (Malaysia), bronze: Angel So (Hong Kong China), Linda Zakaria (Malaysia).
Mixed pairs: Hong Kong China (Gloria Ha, James Po); silver: Hong Kong China (Angel So, Adrian Yau); bronze: Malaysia (Daeng Dahasry, Naufal Azmi), India (Alok Lakra, Ananya Saikia).
Photo: The triumphant Malaysian Tigers after their medal haul at the Asian Bowls Championships in New Delhi.