KUALA LUMPUR, sept 2 – Current athletes are certainly more fortunate compared with what pre-independence and early post-independence athletes had to go through, says national bowling head coach Holloway Cheah.
“Current athletes must be thankful for all the facilities provided to them. They are also more professional now because there are more facilities and sports has become a career. “It was not easy when I first ventured into bowling. I had to work on my own and there was no full time coaches. I even had to buy my own equipment.
“Current athletes have everything and sports science is also stressed and there are certified coaches to guide them. So, they must return what they have received and were provided for them by bringing home successes or gold medals for the country,” the 72-year-old coach told Bernama.
Recalling his heydays, Cheah said it was quite difficult to forget the moment of winning a medal on his debut for the country at the Asian Games in Bangkok in 1978. “It was difficult to express my feelings when the national anthem was played and the Jalur Gemilang raised. I can visualise it until today. I still have a newspaper cutting of the report,” he said.
However, the feeling of pride in winning the gold medal could not be equated with the feelings of pride when he became one of the witnesses to the historical moment of the nation when the first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman shouted the sacred word ‘Merdeka’ at the Merdeka Stadium to declare independence on Aug 31, 1957.
“I was 15 then. I went with several friends to the Merdeka Stadium. Everybody came with a feeling of euphoria. When Tuanku Abdul Rahman shouted ‘Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka’..we followed suit. Our feeling of pride was infinite..it was the historical moment of the nation,” said Cheah, who was born in 1942.
In another development, the patriotic spirit and desire to represent the nation, spurred Mohd Aslan Iskandar to accept an offer to once again don the ‘Malaysian Hero’ jersey after having retired from squash for two years.
“It is a matter of pride for me to be able to represent the nation again and much more if I can win a medal for Malaysia. I am enthusiastic about representing the nation although actually I have retired.
“I actually had not stopped playing squash but no longer competitive in nature. I have to step up my training to represent Malaysia once again at the Asian Games,” said Mohd Azlan, who would be representing Malaysia at the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea from Sept 19 to Oct 4.
According to Mohd Azlan, although he was part of a post-Merdeka generation, he was imbued with a patriotic spirit and an understanding of Merdeka since an early age. “I remain proud although I am of mixed blood (Scotland and Malay-India) I don’t look like a Malay, Indian or Chinese.
“It is not an obstacle…not at all, I play squash for the country; all that I do is to make Malaysia proud. I know the Malaysian history and had researched what Merdeka Day is,” said the Sarawakian.
Mohd Azlan, who became a professional player in 2000 and is a member of the Professional Squash Association (PSA), had an excellent career in squash and had made it 24 times to the finals of the PSA Squash Tour and won 14 Tour titles including three Malaysian Open Championships in 2004, 2007 and 2010.
He achieved the 10th world ranking in March 2011 and is a holder of the gold medal at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China in 2010. For national ‘Hercules’ Mohd Hafifi Mansor, Aug 31 was deeply meaningful to him and it was routine for him to witness the Merdeka Day procession every year.
“It is a compulsory activity for me to witness the Merdeka Day procession because my late father was born in 1957, the year Malaysia became independent. So, he dearly appreciated Merdeka Day. “Although, my father has passed away, I always make an effort to watch the procession whether directly or on television,” he said.
Hafifi, 24, said his love for the nation imbued him with enthusiasm each time he was involved in championships, especially those which gave him the opportunity to uphold the name of the country.
The owner of a gold medal from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland had to forget about representing Malaysia at the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea courtesy of a thigh injury.
“Have to forget Incheon but I will undergo a more systematic training for the World Championship in Kazakhstan in November. It is to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games,” he added.
– BERNAMA
