PETALING JAYA − There will be no elite keglers representing the country in the upcoming SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam, this May as the Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC) is relying on its second stringers to vie for medals.
MTBC secretary-general Maradona Chok said the upcoming games from May 12-23 will be a litmus test and entry point for the second stringers comprising 12 bowlers − eight main keglers with an additional four as back-up − to join the elite squad in the future.
Of the twelve, who are aged from 20 to 26 years old, Maradona said four each will play in the men’s and women’s team while two each will be on “standby”.
“With the Covid-19 situation, we lost the feel of elite bowlers due to retirement, such as Shalin Zulkifli, Syaidatul Afifah Badrul Hamidi and Adrian Ang.
“It could be a time of transition, I would say, that we want youngsters to step up as fast as they can and the only way to do it is to give (them) the important assignments to get them up-to-par with the elite.
“The SEA Games is the first entry point for them to show us (MTBC) they deserve to have a place in the main squad,” he told Bernama when met at the 44th Malaysian National Bowling Championship 2022 today.
Maradona also hoped that Hanoi will be a kickstart for MTBC to send the second squad in future editions of the biennial games should they receive a nod from the National Sports Council (NSC) and Olympics Council of Malaysia (OCM) to do so.
He said this was due to the fact that the final say will always depend on NSC and OCM on who should represent the country in any games − be it elite or back-up keglers − and was pleased to see that both entities have given MTBC the thumbs up to allow the second stringers to blaze the lanes in Hanoi.
“We have always delivered in any of the games… we always have a succession plan for the bowlers to step up despite sending a young team and we hope the trend will continue in the coming decision,” he added.
As Singapore will be sending their main squad to be the team to beat in Vietnam, Maradona said the Malaysian bowlers also need to keep an eye on keglers from other countries, such as Indonesia and Thailand.
The last edition of the SEA Games in Manila, the Philippines three years ago saw Malaysia earning seven medals in total comprising two gold, three silver and two bronze.
As for the elite bowlers, Maradona said they are now gearing up to compete in three big events namely World Games 2022 in the United States followed by Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships in Hong Kong with both events to be held in July and Singapore Open in December.
“Of all three events, the most important thing for us is to defend our throne at the Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships,” he said.
In the last Asian meet in Kuwait in 2019, Malaysia emerged as the overall champion − their best achievement in the tournament so far − after taking home six gold, one silver and four bronze. – Bernama, March 12, 2022
