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New Straits Times
12-07-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Snooker squad left in limbo as SEA Games organisers go silent
KUALA LUMPUR: A cloud of uncertainty hangs over the national snooker and billiards squad ahead of the Thailand SEA Games (on Dec 9-20), with organisers under fire for a lack of communication and vital event information. Since 2007, veterans Thor Chuan Leong, Lim Kok Leong, and Moh Keen Hoo have delivered 11 gold medals for Malaysia, missing out only at the 2009 Vientiane and 2017 Kuala Lumpur Games. But the team's preparation for this year's edition has been thrown into disarray. Malaysian Snooker and Billiards Federation (MSBF) president Melvin Chia said their medal hopes could go up in smoke due to radio silence from the hosts. "It's quite frustrating for us. We're not getting any official updates from the organisers," said Melvin. "We're now hearing that snooker and billiards, which were initially set to take place in Chonburi, have been moved to Songkhla. "We wrote to them last October, but there's still no response. They've yet to provide the SEA Games technical handbook, and that's seriously affecting our planning." The handbook outlines crucial details such as rules, equipment regulations, and scheduling, all vital for organising squad selections and logistics. "If the events clash, we may need to bring more players. That's why we need the full details to plan accordingly," he said. Melvin also voiced concern over the limited range of events, saying the decision to include only snooker and billiards goes against the spirit of the Games. "There are eight snooker events and two in English billiards, but no pool or carrom," he said. "We understand the host nation has the right to choose events, but it should be done fairly. "What happens if the Philippines decide to offer only pool in the future, or Vietnam just carrom? We need to think of the sport's long-term development, not just winning medals." In total, 10 medals will be on offer in Thailand — four in snooker (singles and team), four in six-red snooker (singles and team) and two in English billiards (singles and team) Melvin warned that continued silence from the organisers could derail Malaysia's preparations, as training, budgeting, and athlete logistics all hang in the balance.
New Straits Times
28-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Malaysia's Asian dream snookered by India
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia came within touching distance of creating history at the Asian Team Snooker Championship in Colombo, Sri Lanka only to settle for silver after a 3-1 defeat to India in the final on Saturday. The duo of Thor Chuan Leong and Lim Kok Leong fought bravely but were eventually outgunned by the Indian trio of Aditya Mehta, Brijesh Damani and Pankaj Advani, with frame scores of 58-68, 66-25, 75-33, 58-1 in the best-of-five tie. It would have been Malaysia's first-ever title in the prestigious team event. Still, the result marks a commendable end to a strong campaign for the national team, especially after Chuan Leong had created history earlier in the week by winning the Asian Six-Red Championship — becoming the first Malaysian to do so. To reach the final, Malaysia edged past Hong Kong 3-2 in a tense come-from-behind quarter-final on Friday, before producing a composed 3-1 victory over Pakistan in Saturday's semi-finals. While the partnership between Chuan Leong and Kok Leong lacked the fluid chemistry seen in more established pairings, their strong individual skills carried Malaysia all the way to the title decider. "It is a great result, considering that they paired up for the first time in a team event," said Malaysian Snooker and Billiards Federation (MSBF) president Melvin Chia. "Kok Leong used to partner with Keen Hoo, and with Chuan Leong, there's still a lack of chemistry between them. But this is also good news for us because India — who beat us — are not our Southeat Asian competitors. They had seasoned players like multiple world champion Pankaj Advani. Melvin believes the pairing has strong potential, with only minor adjustments needed heading into the Sea Games in Thailand later this year. "We don't have much to polish up — both are skilfully strong. The main area is pairing coordination. Both are sharp shooters, but Lim is weaker in safety play. That's what we need to work on in his preparation."
New Straits Times
26-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Malaysian snooker still excels despite budget cuts, says federation president
KUALA LUMPUR: Budget cuts and limited exposure have never stopped Malaysia's snooker stars from shining, and Thor Chuan Leong 's latest triumph proves it yet again. The 37-year-old created history by becoming the first Malaysian to win the Asian Six-Red Championship in Colombo on Wednesday, a feat hailed as a timely morale booster by Malaysian Snooker and Billiards Federation (MSBF) president Melvin Chia. With the Thailand Sea Games on the horizon, Chuan Leong's stunning victory couldn't have come at a better time. Compounding the good news, compatriot Lim Kok Leong also impressed by reaching the quarter-finals in what was his first international appearance in nearly two years. "There wasn't much expectation, especially for Kok Leong, as this was his first official overseas tournament since the 2023 Sea Games," said Melvin. "Due to budget constraints, we couldn't send our players to any officially-sanctioned events abroad over the past two years. But they stayed composed and delivered when it mattered." Chuan Leong's resurgence marks another chapter in Malaysia's golden era of snooker, led by himself, Kok Leong, and Moh Keen Ho — a trio that has carried the nation's hopes on the regional, continental and world stages since 2007. Keen Ho clinched singles gold at the 2007 Thailand Sea Games. Chuan Leong followed up with doubles gold alongside Sam Chong in Indonesia 2011, the six-red title in Myanmar 2013, and both singles and doubles (with Keen Ho) in Singapore 2015. Kok Leong captured six-red gold in Vietnam 2021 and doubles gold with Keen Ho in the Philippines 2019. Malaysia continued to dominate at the 2023 Cambodia Games, with Chuan Leong taking singles gold and Keen Ho winning the six-red event. The team also bagged silver in doubles (Kok Leong-Keen Ho) and two bronzes - Kok Leong in singles and the six-red doubles with Keen Ho. Beyond the region, Malaysia's proudest moment on the amateur world stage came in 2015 when Keen Ho and Kok Leong lifted the World Team Championship in Pakistan. "Chuan Leong came into this event hungry after losing his World Snooker Tour status," said Melvin. "His performance revealed both strengths and areas to improve, which will help us fine-tune his Sea Games preparations. "Kok Leong also had his moments, but unforced errors in the quarter-finals showed what still needs work. "The MSBF will continue sending both players to regional and international events through to the year-end, in the hope of sharpening them for Thailand, and ultimately, bringing home more gold medals."
New Straits Times
07-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
How world power China overtook Malaysia in snooker
KUALA LUMPUR: Once upon a time, Malaysia ruled the Asian snooker scene. Yes, really. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, we had players like Sam Chong and Ng Ann Seng regularly chalking up wins at continental tournaments. While China were still fumbling with their cues, our cueists were dominating, thanks to better skills, tournament experience and a decent domestic structure. Fast forward to today, and it's a different story, one that doesn't end in our favour. China are now snooker giants. They've produced world-class stars like Zhao Xintong, Yan Bingtao and, of course, the trailblazing Ding Junhui. Meanwhile, Malaysia have slipped so far behind we're now reduced to chasing Sea Games medals and even that's a tall order. What happened? "China are committed," said Xintong, now a world champion and one of the sport's brightest stars. "We didn't have much before Junhui. But once he started winning, the country built on that success. "We got academies, coaches, support. Players were encouraged to go to the UK and test themselves." Simple as that. Junhui's rise lit the fuse. Suddenly, Chinese youngsters believed they could make it. But belief alone doesn't cut it. China backed it up with real investment. Dozens of academies popped up; facilities were upgraded. Young players were thrown into competitive systems and flown abroad to learn from the best. They turned potential into performance, talent into titles. And Malaysia? We took our eye off the ball. Despite producing Asian champions like Rory Thor and Moh Keen Hoo in recent times, the national development centre in Bukit Jalil was shut down in 2012. It has never been revived. The Malaysian Snooker & Billiards Federation (MSBF) has worked tirelessly to get funding from the government, private sector, anyone — but nothing has come through. MSBF is still trying, continuously requesting help and support, but it is fighting a losing battle. Meanwhile, China just kept pushing forward. Today, they've not only caught up, they've left us behind in a cloud of chalk dust. Our facilities are outdated, our junior system is patchy, and the sport still suffers from an image problem. To many Malaysians, snooker is a pastime played in dimly lit halls, not a legitimate, high-performance sport. Here's the kicker — there is no programme in place to support our national cueists right now. Zero. And yet they're expected to win medals at the Sea Games in December. How? With magic cues? It's a fantasy. You can't deliver results without structure. No money, no training, no proper coaches, but still, medals are demanded. It's not just unfair. It's absurd. No Malaysian has ever qualified for the World Championship at the Crucible in Sheffield. China? They've got a pipeline of players ready to take over the professional tour. It's all depressingly familiar. Remember football? In the 1990s, Japan came to Malaysia to study our league structure. Today, they're among the best in the world. And we are still arguing about naturalised players, salary arrears, and empty stadiums. Malaysia can get back on track in snooker. But it has to start with commitment. Real commitment — not lip service. We need a national academy, fully funded and staffed by qualified coaches. Young players need structured competitions and the chance to train abroad. The sport needs to be cleaned up and rebranded — marketed as a career path, not a hobby for uncles. Right now, snooker is still classified as a parlour sport. Under-16s can't even enter snooker centres. In China, teenage prodigies are being groomed for the professional tour, often backed by private funders who treat snooker like a serious sport. Xintong's success is a classic example. He started in a modest club in Xi'an. With the right backing and belief, he went on to win one of the sport's biggest prizes. It's not a fairy tale. It's a blueprint. Malaysia used to lead. We can do it again but only if we stop living in the past and start building for the future. The cue is in our hands. Time to make the shot.
New Straits Times
26-04-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
MSBF hope to get Klang Valley training centre
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Snooker and Billiards Federation (MSBF) president Melvin Chia hopes that the sport will get its own training centre in the Klang Valley soon to complement the new training facility recently launched in Penang. Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh officiated the launch of the Northern Region Billiards and Snooker Academy in Bayan Baru on Friday (April 25). The National Sports Council had allocated RM500,000 for equipment for the academy while the Penang state government allocated RM1.3 million for renovation works. Melvin said MSBF is grateful for the support given to the sport but stressed that the addition of a centre in the Klang Valley would further boost talent development. "A few years ago, we proposed a Northern region training centre and a national training centre, but only the former was approved. We now hope that a national training centre will be set up soon," said Melvin. "Our top cueists and Sea Games champions – Moh Keen Ho, Lim Kok Leong and Rory Thor Chuan Leong – are from Penang but Keen Ho and Rory came up through the ranks when we had our training centre in Bukit Jalil. "When the national training centre was closed in 2012, we lost our base and could no longer run development programmes systematically. Our talent pool dried up. "During our glory years, legends Sam Chong and Ng Ann Seng trained in the Klang Valley. Having a centre here (Klang Valley) again would be a massive boost for our development programmes and preparations for major games." Melvin is optimistic new National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Jefri Ngadirin will look into the matter. "Despite the lack of full-time programmes, our cueists have always delivered medals for Malaysia. The problem now is that our medal winners are aging," said Melvin. "They might last for one or two editions of the Sea Games at most.
