In a significant development for the sport of lawn bowls, Henselite and the Malaysia Lawn Bowls Federation have taken a step in fostering a stronger partnership, culminating in the signing of a commercial Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This MOU builds on Henselite’s strong historical support of lawn bowls within Malaysia particularly within the past 3 decades.
Witnessed by Malaysian Minister for Sports and Youth, Hannah Yeoh, and attended by World Bowls CEO, Neil Dalrymple, the MOU signing took place at the City of Melbourne Bowls Club at Flagstaff Gardens on March 4th, 2024. The agreement underlines the commitment of Henselite and the Malaysian Lawn Bowls Federation to work together in promoting and advancing the sport of lawn bowls. It serves to drive cooperation in areas such as training programs, equipment supply, and the development of grassroots initiatives in Malaysia amongst young people and para athletes.
This MOU comes at the same time Australia and Malaysia are to sign a bilateral agreement around sports cooperation during the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, currently being held in Melbourne with leaders from across the region.
One of the highlights of the partnership is the emphasis on inclusivity within the sport. Lawn bowls has a unique ability to bring people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities together. This collaboration aims to amplify the inclusive nature of the sport and encourage greater participation from diverse communities in both Australia and Malaysia.
The Malaysian Lawn Bowls Federation (MLBF) is the governing body for the sport of lawn bowls in Malaysia. MLBF President Datuk Awalan Abdul Aziz welcomed the Strategic Partnership with Henselite:
“Relatively, the sport of lawn bowls is new to Malaysians and the growth potential is immense. We are looking forward to collaborate with Henselite to intensify the interest of Malaysian sports fraternity through lawn bowls sports event around the country and strengthening the athletes development programmes”.
Henselite is the largest supplier of lawn bowls and club equipment globally, sees this MOU as a strategic move to establish a stronger presence in the growing Asian region. Commenting on the MOU, Ian Paterson, Owner and Chairman of Henselite Australia, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership:
“This collaboration signifies a new chapter for a 100-year old family company. Henselite are proud to work with the Malaysian Lawn Bowls Federation. We believe in the potential of lawn bowls to transcend borders and become a sport that unites communities. The MOU provides us with a solid platform to extend our work and contribute to the expansion of lawn bowls across Asia”.
The Australian-Malaysian partnership in lawn bowls, and the broader sports agreement between the two countries, is a testament to the power of sports diplomacy in facilitating people to people contact, trade and investment opportunities, and the provision of healthy life-style sports for all people including families, ageing populations and people with disabilities.
