MALAYSIA TARGET TITLE AT 7-NATION INVITATIONAL LAWN BOWLS CHAMPIONSHIP

SHAH ALAM, Feb 13 (Bernama) -- The national lawn bowls squad are aiming for another overall title when they compete in the 2026 7-Nation Invitational Lawn Bowls Championship, scheduled to take place from Feb 15 to 18 at Stadium Juara, Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysian Lawn Bowls Federation (PLBM) president Datuk Awalan Abdul Aziz said the tournament, which offers world ranking points, will feature two national teams from New Zealand, as well as teams from India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Northern Australia, Malaysia A and Malaysia B.

He said there is no reason for the national players not to win the tournament, which also serves as an early preparation platform and a selection ground for the national squad to the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2026 next July.

“At the recent World Cup (last November) involving 12 countries, I initially set a target of finishing in the top three, but Alhamdulillah we emerged champions. This time, the target is to be champions. There will be no compromise and no room for negotiation — we must be overall champions.

“This is the final major tournament before the selection of athletes for the Commonwealth Games. At present, we have six men and six women in the long list before the best three men and three women are selected to compete in two men’s and two women’s events,” he said.

He said this at a press conference for the 2026 7-Nation Invitational Lawn Bowls Championship in Bukit Jelutong here today.

At the same time, he said the tournament would be particularly interesting as it uses the official format that will be adopted at the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

He said unlike the previous World Cup, which still introduced several new elements, this time the format has been finalised, including the implementation of a timer system.

“At the World Cup there was no timer. The timer means each athlete is given 30 seconds, which means players can no longer take too long to assess the position of the head, jack or bowl. If they want a closer look, they must move quickly and return before time runs out,” he said.

He added that the tournament is also recognised by World Bowls and is categorised as a silver-tier event, contributing ranking points.

For the record, Malaysia, as hosts, emerged champions of the 2025 World Cup by defeating some of the world’s top teams, including Australia, Scotland and England.  

-- BERNAMA