SELANGOR: Sarawak’s Watziq Zulfiqrie Dahlan and Muhamad Irfan Syazani Fazarullah overturned an early five-point deficit to capture the men’s doubles gold at the Malaysia Games (SUKMA) XXII on Wednesday (Aug 19).
Trailing Johor’s Mohammad Afi Najmi Mohamad and Muhammad Aidil Akmal Yahya 5–0 in the final, the Sarawak duo fought back brilliantly before completing a 13-7 victory.
Sarawak Boules Association president Datuk Wan Abdillah Edruce Wan Abdul Rahman hailed the pair’s resilience after overcoming opponents from the national junior squad.
“Congratulations to both of them for winning the gold medal for Sarawak.
“They put on a tremendous performance throughout the final,” he told Sarawak Tribune.
Wan Abdillah said the victory was even more satisfying given the calibre of the Johor pair.
“Not many expected them to beat Johor because their opponents are members of the national junior squad,” he said.
Assistant chef de mission for petanque Dr Safiee Ahmad was also present to witness the comeback victory.
