He defended the crown on home ground in Kuala Lumpur 2017, and although the event was not contested in Manila 2019 and Hanoi 2021, national stalwart Saiful Bahri Musmin ensured the gold stayed in Malaysian hands when it returned in Cambodia last year.
The 33-year-old enters the competition buoyed by his impressive bronze medal at the World Championships in Rome two months ago.
His route to a third SEA Games gold, however, will be far from straightforward in a competitive six-man field. Laos star Bountamy Southammavong and Thailand’s Akkrachai Meekhong, the silver and bronze medallists in 2023, are expected to pose the toughest challenge.
In men’s shooting, Nuzul will look to finally secure the elusive gold after coming close on several occasions. The 37-year-old owns a silver from Laos 2009 and a bronze from Singapore 2015, and arrives in Thailand with renewed confidence following a bronze medal at the 6th Asian PetanqueChampionships in Kuala Lumpur as well as a top-eight finish at last year’s World Championships in Dijon.
Defending champion Phoudthala Keokannika of Laos is tipped as favourite, while home representative Supan Thongphoo and Vietnam’s Nguyen Van Dung are among the major contenders.KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9
Malaysia’s national petanque squad are in buoyant mood and determined to make a fast start when the 33rd Thailand SEA Games begin at Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University in Pathum Thani on Wednesday.
The first day will see four gold medals contested — men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s shooting and women’s shooting — with Malaysia expected to be in the medal picture across all four events.
Seasoned campaigners Hafizuddin Mat Daud and Nuzul Azwan Ahmad Temizi will spearhead the challenge in the men’s singles and men’s shooting respectively.
Hafizuddin, a two-time SEA Games champion, will attempt to extend Malaysia’s remarkable winning streak in men’s singles — a title the country has not surrendered since he first claimed it in Singapore 2015.
