KUCHING: Sarawak’s lawn bowls coaches are confident their charges can deliver at the Para SUKMA after almost a month of intensive preparation and exposure to playing conditions expected in Selangor.
Coach Nur Fithri Yaani Hamdin, 30, said the six-strong visually impaired (VI) squad had been training and staying at Merdeka Palace for almost a month as part of their preparations for the Games.
She said the athletes were now ready to take on the challenge in Selangor, with the coaching team having provided them with tips and guidance based on the expected playing conditions at the competition venue.
“We have been training and staying at Merdeka Palace for almost a month, so the athletes are ready to take on the challenge at (Para) SUKMA Selangor.
“As coaches, we have given them many things, including hints and tips about Selangor, such as the condition of the green, the lines and the weight of the bowls.
“They have been applying what we have told them during training, and hopefully they can go further,” she told reporters today.
Nur Fithri, who has been coaching since 2020, said the VI squad, comprising athletes from the B1, B2, B3 and B4 classifications, had set its sights on one gold medal at the Games.
Meanwhile, coach Saiful Adli Sami said the eight-strong physically impaired squad had also been maintaining its training despite having to move between different venues.
“Most of the time, we train at the field here at Merdeka Palace, and the weight is slightly similar to the one Coach Fithri mentioned earlier. Our athletes are more excited than the coaches, but actually, the coaches are the ones who are more nervous and worried,” he said.
Saiful said the athletes had benefited from the tips shared by Nur Fithri and would look to apply the knowledge during competition.
“Hopefully, they can bring something home for the name of Sarawak,” he said.
The physically impaired squad is targeting two gold medals at the Para SUKMA.
The combined Sarawak lawn bowls contingent comprises about 15 athletes, with the squad now entering the final phase of preparations before heading into competition.
Minister for Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, also visited the team during training at Merdeka Palace, where she observed the athletes’ preparations and offered words of encouragement ahead of the Games.
