KUALA LUMPUR – Buoyed by a strong international reputation, Malaysia’s lawn bowls team is eyeing a clean sweep at the upcoming Lawn Bowls World Cup, set to be held in Kuala Lumpur from November 4 to 8.
The tournament, originally slated for Hong Kong, will now take place on home soil – a boost for national head coach Zuraidi Puteh, who will field nine bowlers for the competition.
Speaking to Scoop, Zuraidi said national morale had been lifted by stalwart Nor Farah Ain’s women’s singles gold at the 2024 World Indoor Bowls Championship.
“In this year’s tournament, I have full confidence in the national team as all our players are currently in top form in their respective categories,” he said.
“We have enjoyed several successes in tournaments over the past three years, and Farah Ain’s triumph last year has raised standards across the board, and it gave the entire camp a major boost.
Zuraidi also praised the influence of experienced campaigners such as Nur Ain Nabilah Tarmizi and Aleena Ahmad Nawawi, who were crowned world champions in the women’s doubles.
“They have been instrumental in mentoring the younger players, all of whom are ready. I plan to experiment with them in this World Cup.”
While acknowledging the stiff challenge from traditional powerhouses like Scotland and Australia, Zuraidi believes Malaysia has what it takes to become the overall champions.
“Although achieving a clean sweep will be challenging, I believe we have the quality in our squad, and playing on home soil will certainly be an advantage,” he said.
The national squad has already begun training at the newly upgraded indoor facility in Bukit Kiara, built with a RM1 million allocation from the Youth and Sports Ministry to support the Malaysia Lawn Bowls Federation’s World Cup preparations.
The indoor green has been designed to mirror the conditions expected at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
“We’re grateful to the government for their full support. Training at this new facility has given us a significant boost,” Zuraidi added.
A total of seven gold medals will be contested in the men’s and women’s singles and pairs, along with three para lawn bowls categories.
Malaysia is currently ranked fourth in the world in the men’s division and fifth in the women’s, according to the latest World Bowls rankings. — July 24, 2025