Holloway and Arul make for a strong brew

THERE is one thing bowling coach Holloway Cheah and I have in common – we love our “kopi O kaw”. That’s strong coffee with no sugar – and we have shared many a cuppa at the cafe in the Sunway Mega Lanes, the home of the national bowling team, over the years.

The conversations always have two things, the strong aroma of coffee and Holloway’s incomparable love for bowling.

The man has been married for 50 years and has four children, including former national champion Esther but his other love has always been the bowlers.

So, this week’s IBF World Cup in Australia will be a rather emotional one for Holloway. It will be his last competition as head coach after holding the post for 22 years.

He has been a coach for longer than that though. He became assistant coach to Canadian Sid Allen since 1984 before becoming supremo in 2001.

Now, at the ripe age of 80, Holloway is finally stepping away.

When he first took over, there was one question on everyone’s mind – can a local coach deliver?

Holloway answered those questions emphatically, taking his team to a record-equalling seven-gold feat at the 2001 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.

There was no stopping him after that.

There have been so many good results over the years with different batches of bowlers – both men and women – scorching the lanes at different levels.

Of course, there were disappointments too and close calls.

But what made him stand out, whatever the result, was his good relationship with the bowlers.

While strict, Holloway is a soft character deep inside. In his unassuming way, he encouraged many bowlers, counselled those in doubt, guided them through troubled times and controversies.

Most of all, he instilled self-belief in them.

What really drives him is unearthing new talent. He has an eye for raw talent who he then polishes into sparkling diamonds.

The man who has decorated the sport with his coaching abilities, charisma and knowledge of the ever evolving game, however will not leave the sport in a lurch.

He has groomed many local coaches like former athletes Ben Heng, Alex Liew, Azidi Ameran, Gerald Samuel and Wendy Chai. They have a role model to inspire and guide them.

Hopefully, the bowlers will make it a memorable farewell for Holloway by winning at the World Cup.

However, while Holloway’s colourful coaching career is ending, another local coach is blooming.

National hockey coach A. Arulselvaraj has just led the team to win their first Sultan Azlan Shah Cup trophy in Ipoh – a dream that has been unfulfilled since 1983 when the tournament first started.

The 48-year-old Arul took over from Holland’s Roelant Oltmans in August two years ago and has been moving in the right direction despite many challenges.

Like Holloway, he has won the trust of his players, a key for coaching success.

He has many good years ahead, with a dedicated bunch of old and young players. He also has solid back-up from the support staff and the national body.

Both Holloway and Arul are now chasing World Cup glory.

The bowling World Cup is ongoing while the hockey World Cup will be held next year. And there’s also the Asian Games.

Arul and Holloway can show that the home-brewed coaches are just as good as anyone else.