KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Lawn Bowls Federation (MLBF) is using two major tournaments – the Asian Lawn Bowls Championship in New Delhi and a series of test matches ahead of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games this April – as the selection platform for the best athletes to represent the country at the prestigious games.
MLBF’s president, Datuk Awalan Abdul Aziz, said the governing body has not yet finalised the lineup of players, as all players have shown impressive performances in previous championships.
According to him, MLBF has submitted a long list of players and will refine it to a shortlist this May, with performance in these two upcoming tournaments serving as key selection criteria for Glasgow.
“For now, 12 players comprising six men and six women from the podium program will be sent to the test series. However, only three men and three women will be selected for the final squad to the Commonwealth Games,” he told BERNAMA.
He said this after attending a working committee meeting at the National Sports Council (NSC) in Bukit Jalil today.
Commenting on the current competition among players, Awalan described it as increasingly intense and healthy, with every player showing consistent improvement.
He noted that the 7-Nation Invitational Lawn Bowls Championship, which concluded last Wednesday, saw several surprising results, including Nor Farah Ain Abdullah’s victory over a world champion, which he described as a positive development for the national squad.
“Selection is not based on a single tournament; instead, we will evaluate their consistency from one competition to another,” he said.
The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will take place from July 23 to August 2. – BERNAMA
