Ipoh: National lawn bowling athlete Izzat Shameer Dzulkeple and national tenpin bowling athlete Sin Li Jane were crowned Sportsman and Sportswoman respectively at the 2023/2024 Perak State Sports Awards (ASN) Ceremony here tonight. The Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah graced the event, presenting the awards to Izzat Shameer and Li Jane.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the ceremony was also attended by the Raja Permaisuri of Perak Tuanku Zara Salim, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad and his wife Datin Seri Aezer Zubin, as well as Perak Education, Higher Education, Youth and Sports Committee chairman Khairudin Abu Hanipah. Izzat Shameer contributed significantly to the national lawn bowling squad by securing four gold medals at the 16th Asian Lawn Bowls Championship and the 14th Asian Under-25 (B-25) Lawn Bowling Championship in Clark, Philippines. Meanwhile, Li Jane concluded her 2024 campaign triumphantly by becoming the first Asian bowler to be named Player of the Year on the Professional W
omen’s Bowling Association (PWBA) Tour in the United States, winning four major titles.
Both athletes were awarded medals and a cash incentive of RM7,000. In addition, beach volleyball athlete Low Jeng Yih and swimmer Joelle Chang Zu-Ee were named Promising Sportsman and Promising Sportswoman of the Year, respectively. Cyclists Mohamad Yusof Hafizi Shaharuddin and Nur Suraya Muhammad Zamri were recognized as the Best Male and Best Female Athletes.
The awards ceremony also honored cycling coach Hishamuddin Mohd Zaki in the Coach category, Datuk Seri Puhat Mat Nayan for Sports Leadership, Mohd Jamil Zakaria for Memorable Service, Mohamad Ayob Kamarudin for Sports Family, and both Razif Rosli and Mohd Fitri Azman in the media category. The Perak Bison team was named the best team, while the Perak State Golf Association received the Sports Association Special Award.
This year’s Perak ASN featured 13 nomination categories, including Sportsman, Sportswoman, Promising Sportsman, Promising Sportswoman, Best Team,
Best Coach, Sports Leadership, Sports Family, Media, Best Male Athlete, and Best Female Athlete. A new category, the State Sports Association Special Award, was introduced to acknowledge excellence in sports association leadership and management.
Meanwhile, Saarani highlighted several initiatives by the Perak State Sports Council (MSN) during his speech. These initiatives include the Perak Podium Programme (P3) launched in 2017, the Atlet Kita Juara Programme aimed at nurturing local talent, and various grassroots development efforts. He mentioned that 202 potential athletes are currently part of the Perak Podium Programme, preparing for higher-level competitions. The Perak MSN, he added, focuses on athlete welfare and personality development to uphold the state’s sports image.