Badly-hit bowling continues to cry for help

Good old times: File pix of national bowlers winning honours for the country in one of the tournaments.

PETALING JAYA:The pleas to revive the state of bowling in the country are getting louder but sadly, the authorities are still silent on it.

National bowlers have not been training for months at the training centre as the bowling alley at the Sunway Mega Lanes has been closed due to the Covid-19 restrictions, and it's the same fate for all the other bowling centres in the country.

The sport has contributed much for the nation in the World Championships, Asian Games, SEA Games and countless Open events but one can't help but feel that they have been sidelined as many other sports have been given the clearance to train in isolation or under a bubble system.

Sunway Mega Lanes assistant general manager Michelle Wong hopes that the relevant authorities will not overlook their plight.

"We are happy to hear about the government's latest announcement on the opening of the tourist sector. Langkawi Island, for a start, will be opened to the local tourist. We humbly ask for our leaders not to forget us too," said Michelle.

"Please do not forsake the sports industry and the bowling sector in particular."

Bowling has made countless appeals to the government to consider the opening of the centres to prevent them suffering from further losses.

"We have highlighted the dire straits that the bowling centres are now, several times," she said.

"Should the restrictions persist longer, the millions invested in this industry will be wasted and many more people will be retrenched. For a sport that had contributed greatly in putting Malaysia on the world's map, the situation we are in right now is really sad."

Michelle pointed out that the finances of the bowling centres had reached to a critical point since they had been closed for four months.

"One of our main concerns is that we have not received any directives or news on when the centres would be open. We have not had any meetings on how we can manage this pandemic together," she said.

"We do not know how we can continue as a business entity without any support, and even when we eventually reopen the centres. For example, we have to consider the rental and other costs. Do we even get tax rebates to survive in Malaysia?

"So many questions without any answers at all! We humbly plead to the government to look into this matter and more importantly engage with the people in the industry, the sports associations and bowling proprietors. Give us a direction to look forward to," added Michelle.