KUCHING, Aug 19 — Selangor may not have had enough time to prepare, but that did not stop them from defending the lawn bowls mixed pairs gold in the 2024 Malaysian Games (Sukma) at the Petra Jaya Lawn Bowls Arena today.
First-time pairing Alif Haikal Hakimi Ariffuddin and Nurul Ain Ibrahim defeated Sarawak’s Awang Mohamad Sharszan Fiyrman Awang Nasaruddin-Nur Syurhaidah Asaral 12-10 in the final.
The Federal Territories’ Muhammad Amirul Naim Fazly-Nurul Munirah Azizul Rahman downed Terengganu’s Muhammad Ammar Zaquan Jamaludin-Nur Hidayah Husna Abdullah 16-8 to take bronze.
Alif Haikal, 20, said they were only paired up two months ago and admitted it was tough for them to defend gold.
“We also only trained about five times, so what we did was just focus on our own game. It was a challenge but we handled it well,” he told Bernama today.
He said though the home pair gave them a tough fight, they managed to win the final by cutting down mistakes.
The Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia student praised the 19-year-old Nurul Ain, who was the calmer of the duo during tense moments at the final.
Nurul Ain said the victory is “very meaningful” as she was only a reserve previously.
“When given the chance to play in the mixed pairs, I was determined to prove I can contribute a medal to the team. I was excited when picked for Sukma 2024,” she said, adding that she will be competing in the women’s fours event next.
— Bernama
