PETALING JAYA: Izzat Shameer Dzulkeple knows the real test of his Commonwealth Games campaign is still to come, with the Malaysian lawn bowler bracing himself for back-to-back clashes against two of the section’s most formidable opponents – India’s Putul Sonowal and Canada’s Ryan Bester.
The 34-year-old opened his campaign with a 2-0 win over the Falkland Islands’ Cecil Alexander in the men’s singles sectional play at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) Centre in Glasgow on Thursday, but he is already sharpening his game for the sterner challenges ahead.
“I know my upcoming opponents are not easy, especially those from India and Canada,” said Izzat.
“Now that I have a feel of the games, I believe my confidence will only get better with the upcoming matches.
“With these conditions and this arena, I’ve realised short balls don’t work well, so I have to look at other angles to get more points. It’s a game-by-game process for me to reach the knockout stages.”
Sonowal has already shown his own quality, edging past Bester in a hard-fought opener that went all the way to a one-end tie break, which he won 1-0 after the pair split the first two sets – Sonowal taking the opener 5-4 before Bester hitting back 7-4.
Beating Bester is no small feat.
The Canadian is a decorated Commonwealth Games campaigner with three medals to his name – bronze in the men’s singles in 2006 and silver in 2014 and 2018 – to go with seven World Outdoor medals, including singles gold in 2023.
He was also inducted into the inaugural Hall of Fame class in 2025.
Against that calibre of opposition, Izzat will need to build on Thursday’s win, where he took the first set convincingly 10-3 before having to work harder for a 7-4 finish in the second against a fighting Alexander.
“I had a good opening game but there were some nerves since it was my first match here in Glasgow. The win is good, but as for my game, I need to improve a lot more,” he said.
Before the ties against Sonowal and Bester, Izzat faced Malta’s Shaun Parnis at the SEC Centre yesterday.
Meanwhile, the women’s pair Aleena Ahmad Nawawi and Syafiqa Haidar Afif Abdul Rahman started their campaign on a strong note after beating Sharon Barnes and Kristiane Thorsen of the Falkland Islands 13-0, 11-1 in the first Group D match.
They face Jersey and Cook Islands today before meeting hosts Scotland (tomorrow) Norfolk Island (Monday).
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