KUCHING: Turning her silver medal into gold in the women’s tenpin bowling singles at the Sarawak 2024 Malaysia Games (SUKMA) marked a fitting finale for homegrown talent Nur Hazirah Ramli in her last appearance at the biennial event.
The 21-year-old kegler reflected on her experience competing in three consecutive editions of SUKMA, saying it taught her all about hard work and perseverance.
Nur Hazirah credited her calmness during lane changes for maintaining the momentum that led to her victory on home soil.
“I’m extremely grateful and happy to have turned my silver medal from the last edition to gold this time, which has been my dream for my last SUKMA appearance on home ground. So, this gold medal is very special to me,” she told reporters at Megalanes Sarawak last night.
She dedicated the gold medal to her coaches, family and friends who have consistently supported her, no matter the circumstances.
At the 2022 edition, Nur Hazirah finished second in the same event while her teammate Lavinia Kho clinched gold.
Earlier, Nur Hazirah dominated the event, recording a total of 1,261 pinfalls, while Selangor’s Adania Mohd Redzwan and Federal Territories’ Haiffa Hazlan took home the silver (1,254) and bronze (1,239) medals, respectively.
Meanwhile, national junior tenpin bowler Wan Muhammad Zarif Ikram Wan Mazlan, who recently won the men’s Masters title at the 23rd Asian Junior Tenpin Bowling Championships, credited that victory for motivating him to secure a gold medal for Terengganu.
“I’m really happy because this is the first time in 13 years that Terengganu has won a gold medal in bowling. I’m thankful to everyone who supported me and prayed for me,” he said.
The 17-year-old delivered a steady performance across all six games, racking up a total of 1,375 pinfalls.
Shaqeem Izwan Teh Shahrul Hafiz Teh from the Federal Territories secured the silver with 1,361 pinfalls, while Sabah’s Emmanuel Fo took the bronze after downing 1,342 pins.