The national petanque team are set to go all out in a bid to defend their title at the Invitational Open Petanque Championship in Bintangor, Sarawak yesterday.

"We are aiming to win gold in the tournament this year," said Mazlan Hj Yahya in an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.

"Brunei sends eight athletes this year. The other players are Hamidon Hj Hamid, Junaidi Ali and Hj Yussof Mohammad, Wirna Hj Mohd Yassin, Hj Mat Rasil Hj Ahmad, Muhd Abdillah Tamin and Hj Karim Hj Ahmad.

"Last year I partnered Wirna in the final, but this year, there might be some changes made by the coach (Somsak Juychunprasert)."

Captain Mazlan Hj Yahya and Wirna Hj Mohd Yassin defeated Bintagor team 13-11 in the final to be crowned the champions of the double event category in the last edition of the tournament.

"We are now in a very good form. We just got back from Sarawak last week and I partnered Junaidi to win gold medal in double category," he said.

Mazlan and Junaidi defeated Binulu Petanque Club 13-10 in the final of the Mukah Open Petanque Championship. They made an easy work of Sibu Petanque Club 13-2 in the semi-final of the tournament.

Earlier this month Brunei bagged bronze in the 7th Pan Pacific Petanque Championship when Hamidon, Junaidi and Hj Yussof shared third with Indonesia after reaching the semi-finals of the competition.

The trio defeated compatriots Awg Abdul Wahab Salihin Hj Besar, Marhalim Hj Juni and Azmi Eddy Mohd Harris 13-5 in the quarter-final before losing to eventual silver-medalists Vietnam 13-6 in the semi-final at the Petanque Pitch of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas.

Meanwhile, Brunei's Pg Hj Asmalina Pg Hj Jaya, Hj Mat Rasil and Masli Mohd Said finished second in Sunday's Nation Cup after losing 13-2 to Malaysia's Zani Lisa Mohamed, Shari Hassan and Syed Ali Syed Akil.

The Nation Cup is a tournament for the teams that did not make it to the top eight of the Pan Pacific Petanque Championship.

Courtesy from Brunei Times