'Never too old to do the things that you love': Despite vision loss, this 93-year-old bowler keeps going

CNA

26-05-2025

Sport
Mr William Thong is possibly one of the oldest bowlers in the world. CNA finds out what's kept him in the sport for the last seventy years.
SINGAPORE: On a Tuesday morning at a Bukit Batok bowling alley, the sound of clattering pins echoes off the walls.
At one end, a couple of youngsters celebrates strikes exuberantly. At the opposite, a group of older men are racking up the points in more stoic fashion.
And then there is Mr William Thong.
A familiar fixture - he bowls here multiple times a week - Mr Thong has his own locker, his own bowling shoes and a flask of teh-o to keep him going.
Mr Thong stands out from the other amateur bowlers.
His gait is slower and his technique guided more by feel than vision, but he is no less adept at picking up the odd strike or two.
Eyes locked on the target, Mr Thong sends an eight-pound ball swirling down the lane. This time, there are still a few stubborn pins left standing, but he keeps at it for the next hour or so.
After all, what keeps the 93-year-old going is not the score flashing on the electronic screen, but his love for the sport. BOWLING WITH HALF AN EYE
In his younger days, Mr Thong was an all-rounder in sports, who ran cross-country and played basketball and football.
His foray into bowling only began in his early 20s, after joining an American firm.
"I wanted to please the president (of the company) that I could I also bowl. I joined him and he was happy," he recalled.
He eventually grew into the sport and competed at local amateur tournaments.
"I enjoy getting strikes, getting spares. Especially the speed (of the ball)," said Mr Thong. 93-year-old William Thong bowling at Starbowl in HomeTeamNS Bukit Batok on Apr 15, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Lan Yu)
According to Mr Alfred George Pillay, a fellow bowler who has known Mr Thong for close to a decade, the latter was also a bowling captain in his fourties.
"He used to have national bowlers under his team," recalled Mr Pillay, who has partnered Mr Thong in several competitions.
But a glaucoma diagnosis about three decades ago threatened to put a stop to things.
Mr Thong would eventually go completely blind in one eye. He was told by a doctor there was a "50-50" chance of going blind in his other eye, if he did not take appropriate care.
"I always prayed that I could see and that it would not deteriorate (further)," he said.
Mr Thong has continued to bowl, relying on his one good eye which he guessed to now have about 55 per cent vision left.
Asked how he does it, he said: "You just estimate ... (the pins are) 'dead', waiting for you to bowl the ball."
But it has not been without difficulty. There were three or four times when Mr Thong tripped on the lane. "I had to break the fall (with my hand)," he said.
These days, he stands further away from the foul line so he does not slip on the oiled flooring.
"Closing one eye and bowling is near-impossible. I don't know how he does it," said Mr Pillay, 61.
"(Initially) I didn't know he (was using just) one eye because he used to wear sunglasses ... The day he took out his glasses, I got a shock."
Mr Thong has other passions. He uses the computer regularly, and is a fixture in his church choir.
"Every Sunday I sing in church, I like singing," he said. "They like my voice."
The nonagenarian still looks as sprightly as he is active. He attributed this to a diet which he keeps to fastidiously.
"Fish, eggs and chicken," he revealed. "I take fruits every day too: Papaya, bananas and oranges."
But nothing comes close to bowling for Mr Thong. He visits the alley up to five days a week, going for about three to five games each time.
He typically travels by bus from his home in Choa Chua Kang, a journey of about 30 minutes. "(I'm) not tired and my body is not aching. It's okay," he said.
In the past, his wife would often accompany him, but now that she has dementia, she stays at home with their domestic helper.
"(She came) all the time ... She would ask: 'Why you miss the ball?' ... She was like an advisor!" said Mr Pillay.
"She was always here supporting him. They would sometimes argue and she would tell him: 'Your ball is too slow, your ball is too fast', that kind of thing. The two of them looked very cute together." 93-year-old bowler William Thong cheering after knocking down 9 pins at Starbowl in HomeTeamNS Bukit Batok on Apr 15, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Lan Yu)
Mr Thong and Mr Pillay now have each other for company in the bowling alley.
"He told me most of his friends have all passed on. He's got not many friends that he can relate to. We share things, we talk about things, we are friends," said Mr Pillay.
"He's an inspiration to me ... I hope that I can bowl until at least 70. You're never too old to do the things that you love."
Mr Thong does see himself as an ambassador for the sport.
"(Bowling) is to reach out to people. This is how you start a conversation with people who do not know anything about bowling," he said. "Some of them ask me: 'What do you eat?'"
Bowling is also how Mr Thong keeps occupied and clocks his exercise minutes, and he hopes to keep at it for as long as he physically can. The longest he has stayed away from the alley was a six-month hiatus due to knee and shoulder pain.
He is not done competing either. Mr Thong recently joined a weekly "Fun Bowl" competition with other bowlers, taking place every Wednesday.
He, of course, is the oldest there.
"When I stop bowling, I'll be very sad ... If God allows me, I will bowl until 100." active ageing bowling