Thursday January 24, 2013

Snooker and billiards’ appearance at Games depends on ad hoc committee

By ASHREENA PILLAI

A big contributor: Sam Chong (right) and Thor Chuan Leong showing off their gold medals after winning the men’s doubles event in the 2011 Indonesia SEA Games.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s ability to deliver medals in snooker and billiards at this year’s Myanmar SEA Games will now depend on the recently-appointed ad hoc committee.

The committee, spearheaded by chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Noor Abdul Rahim, has been given the mandate by the Youth and Sports Ministry to put the Malaysian Snooker and Billiards Federation (MSBF) back on track. The MSBF were suspended by the Sports Commissioner on July 19 last year.

The committee, formed on Oct 15, 2012, has been given a 12-month time frame to turn things around for the MSBF.

With a little over nine months left and the Games looming in December, the main objective of the committee will be to help and oversee the finalisation of the new MSBF constitution, the registration of newly-registered states as affiliates as well as the association’s biennial general meeting to elect new office bearers.

“We have almost completed the draft constitution. Hopefully after the Chinese New Year, we will get the affiliates to come in and give their comments. After that, if everything is agreed upon, we will be able to call for an AGM (annual general meeting) and a recommendation will be forwarded to the minister (Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek) to take the next course of action,” said Mohammad Noor at a press conference in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

Apart from the SEA Games, MSBF are also looking to send representatives to the Fourth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Incheon, South Korea, from June 29-July 6.

At the 2011 Indonesia SEA Games, Malaysia won a gold and a bronze. Sam Cheong and Thor Chuan Leong were victorious in the men’s doubles and Chuan Leong finished third in the men’s singles.

In all, Malaysia have won 54 medals – 14 golds, 19 silvers and 21 bronzes – since snooker and billiards were first included in the Jakarta Games in 1987.

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