By Zaki Salleh
IPOH: Malaysian lawn bowls player and Perak athlete Izzat Shameer Dzulkeple made history by winning the silver medal at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
His achievement marks the first time a Malaysian athlete has won a medal in the men’s singles lawn bowls event at the Commonwealth Games.
In the gold medal match at the Scottish Event Campus, Izzat was defeated 2-0, by England’s Sam Tolchard.
Nevertheless, his accomplishment is highly significant as it represents Malaysia’s first-ever medal in the men’s singles lawn bowls event since it was introduced at the Commonwealth Games in 1930.
The result ends a 96-year wait, with Malaysia finally making history in the event.
Earlier, Izzat’s qualification for the final had already been regarded as a breakthrough and the nation’s best-ever performance in the discipline.
Another Perak athlete, Aleena Ahmad Nawawi, also returned home with a silver medal in her debut appearance at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Aleena, partnered with Syafiqa Haidar Afif Abdul Rahman, competed in the women’s pairs lawn bowls event.
The Malaysian pair lost 0.5-1.5 to England’s Amy Pharaoh and Sian Honnor in the final.
Besides Izzat and Aleena, five other Perak athletes represented Malaysia at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
They were Chang Zi Fueng (3×3 Basketball), Luqman Al-Hafiz Zulfa and Yeap Kang Xian (Artistic Gymnastics), as well as Nur Suraiya Muhamad Zamri and Mohammad Yusof Hafizi in Para Track Cycling.
