KUALA LUMPUR: Debutants Nur Ain Nabilah Tarmizi and Aleena Ahmad Nawawi created history for Malaysia when they won the women’s pairs title at the World Bowls Championship in Australia yesterday.
The duo beat Malta’s Rebecca Rixon and Connie-Leigh Rixon 15-9 in the final at the Broadbeach Bowls Club in Gold Coast. It is Malaysia’s first women’s gold since the inception of ladies’ events in the World Championships in 1969. Nur Ain Nabilah, 25, and Aleena, 24, advanced to the final after beating Emma McIntyre-Claire Anderson 17-10 of Scotland in the semi-finals while the Malta pair ousted English duo Sophie Tolchard-Amy Pharaoh 20-7. Prior to the world meet, Nur Ain Nabilah had won the women’s triples event silver at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and fours event gold at the 2017 and 2019 SEA Games, while Aleena claimed the under-25 and mixed pairs crowns at the Asia Lawn Bowls Championship in Ipoh early this year. “It is a historic win by our women’s pairs. Although they just teamed up one year ago and are still young, they played well and displayed strong mental resilience.
“They have done the team and Malaysia proud. They proved that with hard work, they could achieve big success and attract more young people to take up the sport,” national head coach Zuraidi Puteh said when contacted. Meanwhile, Idham Amin Ramlan-Izzat Dzulkeple claimed bronze in the men’s pairs event after going down 12-23 to Australia’s Aaron Wilson-Aaron Teys in the semi-finals. In men’s singles, Izzat Shameer Dzulkeple’s journey ended in the quarterfinals after losing 14-21 to Ryan Bester of Canada. Safuan Said had clinched the men’s singles world title in the 2008 edition in New Zealand while the women’s team’s best achievement was the fours’ event silver medal in the 2012 Adelaide edition. – BERNAMA
