Malaysia: Malaysia emerged overall champions of the 2026 7-Nation Invitational Lawn Bowls Championship after dominating all four events on the final day of competition at Stadium Juara, Bukit Kiara here today.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the national squad, led by head coach Fairul Izwan Abd Muin, demonstrated their prowess using the official format of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. They excelled in both the men's and women's singles and pairs events.
The success commenced with Malaysia C pair Nur Syafira Mohamad Rezuan and Nurul Balqis Anisha Bakar, who defeated Hong Kong's Cheryl Chan and Helen Cheung 2-1 in the women's pairs final. This victory set a triumphant tone for the national team.
Malaysia B's Nor Farah Ain Abdullah then secured the women's singles title by overcoming India's Nayanmoni Saikia 2-1. Following this, the Malaysia B men's pairs duo Muhammad Naufal Azmi and Fadley Jabal celebrated their victory against Northern Australia's Alex Brennan and Trystan Smallacombe with a 2-1 scoreline. The clean sweep was completed by Malaysia A men's singles representative Izzat Shameer Dzulkeple, who defeated New Zealand Silver's Shannon Mcilroy 2-1.
Based on the accumulated points, Malaysia B was crowned overall champions with 25 points, followed by Malaysia A and New Zealand Silver, both sharing second place with 24 points each.
Fairul Izwan remarked that the tournament was a vital step in preparing for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, although he noted there were areas needing improvement. "Honestly, I am satisfied but Team A was initially targeted to be champions. However, things turned out differently, but it is still within our target of emerging overall champions this time,' he stated.
Nor Farah expressed her adaptability to the tournament format, which included a timer system. She noted, 'I have played in this format before. For me, the timer and the 30-second duration are actually okay. Another thing is that matches become faster.'
The championship, which featured teams from Malaysia, New Zealand, India, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Northern Australia, also functioned as an early preparation and selection ground for the national squad ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games scheduled for next July. Lawn Bowls Malaysia Federation (PLBM) president Datuk Awalan Abdul Aziz attended the event to present prizes to the winners.