Goodbye to the 'Home of Champions' - Federal Bowl

KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Bowl, popularly known as the “Home of Champions” in the 1970s and 80s, is bidding farewell to all Malaysian bowling stars and enthusiasts. 

The bowling centre located in the heart of the city will be officially closed by the end of this month to make way for a new development project. 

The Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC) secretary, Sidney Tung, said: “This bowling alley is a nostalgic one in our bowling history. It is a place where our national bowlers reigned.” 

He added that the Federal Bowl had not been just a bowling centre but also a legend to Malaysian bowling. 

Sidney noted that among big names who made their marks there included Halloway Cheah, Shirley Chow and Ringo Wang. 

The 18-lane bowling alley, which was the largest bowling centre then, was officially opened on Feb 24, 1968, by the then Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Senu Abdul Rahman. 

The Federal Bowl was the venue for some of the major international championships, including the 120-game doubles marathon in 1971; the Malaysian International Open in 1978, 1979 and 1981; and the first Federal Territory Open Championship in 1976. 

To make it a special occasion, the management of The Federal Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, where the Bowl is located, organised a charity event called “Down Memory Lane” on Saturday. 

It included the auctioning of several authentic bowling memorabilia to raise funds for needy children. A total of 50 orphans from Rumah Charis, Rumah Keluarga Kami, Rumah Hope, Rumah Anak-anak Yatim Wawasan and Rumah Ozanam were also invited to the join in the special occasion. 

The children enjoyed themselves in a session of bowling with guidance from the national squad's keglers – SEA Games gold medallists Zandra Aziela Ibrahim Hakimi and Aaron Kong, World Championship singles gold medallist Esther Cheah and national champion and Asian Youth gold medallist Adrian Ang. 

A gallery featuring photos and memorabilia from 1968 until now, which includes medals, plaques, bowling balls and pins used by our national bowlers, newspaper cuttings and others are also on display for public viewing. – Bernama