Esther’s final frame

Esther: ‘My body is not taking it as well as it used to, and recovery is much slower.’

PETALING JAYA: Three-time world tenpin bowling champion Esther Cheah just can’t roll with the physical challenges anymore, prompting her to announce her retirement from the sport after 22 years of representing Malaysia.

The 39-year-old admitted that in recent times she has struggled not just to reach her best form, but also with her body no longer responding as it once did.

And she felt it was the right moment to step away from competitive bowling.

Before making the tough decision, Esther discussed it with her father, Holloway Cheah, a former national head coach, and several other key figures, before officially announcing her retirement yesterday.

“I think it’s just the right time to step back. My body is not taking it as well as it used to, and recovery is much slower. That’s one of the main reasons I’m stepping down,” said Esther when contacted.

“I definitely talked a lot with my dad. I also spoke with the team manager and the coaches. They know I’ve been planning to retire for a while, but I kept pushing it back, hoping I could regain my form. It never really came back fully.’’

Among Esther’s greatest achievements was making history as Malaysia’s first individual world champion at the 2005 World Championships in Aalborg, Denmark.

Two years later in Monterrey, Mexico, she repeated the feat, this time in the team of five event alongside Datuk Shalin Zulkifli, Sharon Koh, Wendy Chai, Zandra Aziela Ibrahim Hakimi and Choy Poh Lai, capturing gold for Malaysia.

Esther then had to wait 10 years before claiming another world title in Las Vegas, again in the team of five event with Syaidatul Afifah Badrul Hamidi, Natasha Roslan, Siti Safiyah Amirah Abdul Rahman, Sin Lin Jane and Shalin.

She also enjoyed consistent success at the Asian level, winning three Asian Championships titles in 2008, 2016 and 2019.

Among all her victories, the moment she cherishes most came at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha. At just 20 years old, Esther was Malaysia’s most outstanding athlete, winning two gold medals and three silvers.

“That was like my breakout moment. I was a rookie and no one really expected me to bowl that well or win that many medals. I won a medal in every event except doubles – two golds and three silvers.

“It was very unexpected, especially when I won the singles. I finished at around midnight and claimed Malaysia’s first gold. That was very, very memorable, bowling late into the night,” she recalled.

Esther is also aware that with her retirement, she will no longer have the chance to don the national jersey or stand on the podium as the national anthem, Negaraku, is played — moments she describes as the most special for any athlete.

At the same time, she admitted that she has yet to decide what comes next after dedicating more than two decades of her life to bowling.

“I’m still not too sure what’s going to happen. I’m looking into coaching, but we’ll see. Nothing is confirmed yet. My options are very open,” added Esther.