Timmy sees added motivation after engagement ahead of Asian meet

All pumped up: Timmy Tan will be hoping to shine at the Asian Championships with fiance See Casey on his mind.

PETALING JAYA: National bowler Timmy Tan only got engaged at the end of October, but he is already thinking about the medals he could show his grandchildren one day.

The 32-year-old, who proposed to fiance, See Casey, has extra motivation to bring home a medal from the Asian Championships in Doha starting tomorrow.

“It’s definitely given me a boost,” said Timmy.

“I want to keep adding to my medal collection so I’ll have something to show off to our grandchildren one day.”

Casey will not be boarding the plane to Qatar this time but Timmy will have her advice in mind when he steps onto the lanes.

“Casey won’t be in Doha, but I know she’ll be the first to jump up and cheer if I win. She always tells me to stay calm and focus on making my shots, one frame at a time.

“Whatever happens, I know she’ll be waiting for me when I get home.”

Doha also gives Timmy a chance to make amends after he was left out of the squad for the 2024 championships in Bangkok.

A year earlier, he had helped Malaysia end a 15-year wait for the men’s team title in Hong Kong, where he also won the all-events silver.

“I wasn’t bowling well that year and missed the last championships (in Bangkok),” said Timmy.

“I want to make up for that now. Gold is the target.”

Malaysia topped the medal table in Bangkok with eight golds, five silvers and four bronzes, but finished 26 pins behind Singapore in the men’s team event.

Rafiq Ismail led the Malaysian haul with four golds in the singles, trios, all-events and Masters.

“Team gold is always our main goal,” added Timmy, who won the Asian singles title in 2016 and retained it in Kuwait in 2019, when he also took the all-events gold.

“Singapore won it the last time, and we want to take back the crown.”

Timmy and Rafiq were part of the quartet that won Malaysia’s first men’s team gold at the World Cup in Hong Kong last year.

They are joined in Doha by Syafiq Ridhwan Abdul Malek, Tun Hakim, Izz Naqiuddin Putera and Mohd Hazim Alihanafiah.

In the women’s squad, Adelia Nur Irwan Syazalee joins five members of the team that won silver in Bangkok – Sin Li Jane, Nora Lyana Nastasia Norkamal, Gillian Lim, Faten Najihah and Nur Syazwani Sahar.

The national team will start with a practice session and opening ceremony today, before the singles competition.