PETALING JAYA: Mohd Suhairi Abd Kadir has won a Malaysia Games (Sukma) silver medal and a bronze at Asian level, but the national para bowler is still training with a second-hand metal guide railing.
He also has to make do with a lighter, homemade PVC version which he has used for more than 12 years.
Mohd Suhairi, 46, who is blind, is actually luckier than most other blind bowlers like him.
Visually impaired para bowlers still rely heavily on self-made PVC guide railings because factory-made versions are too costly and limited.
Para-bowling head coach Richard Teh said most visually impaired athletes build their own railings because official ones are most times beyond what these athletes are able to afford and it is only available to national players.
Many state-level athletes still rely entirely on homemade railings.
“The National Sports Council (MSN) only buys proper ones for the national team, and even then, we only have four good sets,” he said.
Teh added that even those sets were purchased cheaply overseas.
Mohd Suhairi concurs.
“MSN bought my railing second-hand from abroad because it was cheaper,” he said, adding that each athlete’s railing needs to be highly personal.
“Some prefer it shorter, some lower. Everyone has a specific setup,” he said.
“The MSN one is adjustable, but sometimes it doesn’t fit our needs,” he said, adding that the railing only serves as a guide.
“There’s no advantage. It’s just for us to walk straight to the lane,” he said.
Teh said MSN bought the railings second-hand from another team when they went abroad because it was much cheaper.
He added that official versions are typically made of metal or aluminium, while homemade ones use PVC pipes.
“The players prefer PVC rails because it is light, can be dismantled easily and they can carry them around,” he said.
Many bowlers still prefer DIY railings even when given access to official ones.
“They are used to their own versions, so they feel more confident with them,” he said.
Cost remains a significant barrier.
“Just to make one locally costs about RM3,000,” said Teh.
He added that funding from MSN and the Paralympic Council of Malaysia (PCM) has dropped sharply.
“After the Covid-19 pandemic, the budget dropped. For five or six years, we had no budget at all,” he said.
“At the last Asian Games, we were provided a lot, even customised bowling wheelchairs.
“However, the budget has since dropped,” he added.
Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC) former secretary-general George Tan said visually impaired athletes consistently choose their own railings because the “feel” must remain identical in both training and competition.
“As they are totally visually impaired, a familiar railing gives them confidence,” he said.
Tan said MTBC once provided guiderails for competitions, but the uptake was minimal.
“We made 10 rails, but only two were used. The athletes still preferred their own,” he said.
Cost also remains a challenge because of the small pool of athletes.
There are only about 40 to 50 visually impaired bowlers in Asia, and maybe another 30 worldwide, Teh said.
“Manufacturing for such a small number is expensive,” he said, adding that funding was a problem.
“Funding is important so coaches can get better and lighter materials for the athletes.”
