PUTTING THE SHINE BACK
PLTA out to get more teams for tennis tournament
K. KANDIAH nstsport@nst.com.my
FEWER teams are turning up, and the organisers are getting concerned. The Datuk Freddie Choong Challenge Trophy, an annual inter-club veterans tennis competition, initiated by the Penang Lawn Tennis Association (PLTA), is in need of a revival.
The event has been held in honour of its patron and former president Datuk Freddie Choong, the brother of badminton icons, the late Datuk David Choong and the late Datuk Eddy Choong.
The competition has been hosted every year without break since its inauguration 26 years ago. However, the number of participating teams have dwindled over the years.
PLTA used to host more than 20 teams in a grand carnival mood over three days, including attracting teams from Kedah, Perak, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Southern Thailand.
Sadly, the number has been gradually reduced to 10 teams this year.
To recapture its heyday, PLTA will aggressively promote the veterans competition and may also extend the invitation to Sabah, Sarawak, and Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei.
In the final of the recent Datuk Freddie Choong meet, defending champion Bukit Mertajam Tennis Club (BMTC) defeated Persatuan Tenis Melayu Pulau Pinang (PTMPP) 3-0 (best of three doubles) at the Penang Sports Club tennis complex.
BMTC captain Ong Hock Keat said: “Our team players are very committed and dedicated. They are seldom late for training. Most of our evenings are spent training at the Bukit Mertajam Country Club and Kulim Club. RESULTS:
Final: Bukit Mertajam Tennis Club `A' 3 Penang Malays Tennis Association 0. (Andy Kee-Eng Lean Teik bt Jesril Jamel-Shazli Husni 6-3, 6-3; Alvin Chew-Hasnul Hashim bt Akmal Yahya-Fong Lun Leong 6-3, 6-3; Hang Kok Long-Yap Seww Kee bt Phor Peng Hoe-Anor Ahmad 2-6, 6-3 (rtd).
Plate final: Penang Sports Club `Black' 3 Penang Swimming Club 0. (Mohd Zaheer Patel-Wilson Liem Kit bt Charles Ang-Malcolm Hanney 8-2; Paul Lim-R. Shanmugam bt Jeffrey Peh-Sunny Ng 8-5; Arthur Chin-Koay Theam Hock bt Alvin Lee-Lim Khoon Seng 8-3).