Choo’s golden vision (SEPTEMBER 17 - 23)
Blind kegler wants team to go all out to achieve 13-gold target
BLIND masseur Choo Kam Chan wants the national bowling team to achieve the 13-gold target at the Kuala Lumpur Asean Para Games.
There are 18 golds at stake in the competition which starts at the Pyramid Mega Lanes today.
Malaysia will be represented by 23 men and five women. At the 2015 Singapore Para Games, Malaysia emerged as overall champions with an 8-7-4 haul.
“Our vision is to win 13 golds to become overall champions again,” said the 42-year-old Kam Chan, who has been bowling in the Games since 2009.
“We have depth in the team and I urge all my teammates to go all out. Singapore and Brunei will be our main challengers,” he said.
“For the first time, our team started full-time training well ahead of time. We began in January this year. That has brought the team together.”
Kam Chan will be taking part in the TB2 men’s singles, doubles and team events under the partially blind category.
He won two golds – singles and trios — at the 2011 Games in Indonesia. At the 2015 Singapore Games, Kam Chan again won the golds in the singles and trios.
He said that a vision impaired bowler can bowl just as well as an able-bodied bowler.
“But we need lots of practice. Some blind people can tell which pins they hit just by the sound,” said Kam Chan, whose highest onegame score is 268 pins during training and 259 pins in competitions.
“I rely on sighted individuals to tell me which pins are still standing so that I know where to roll the ball. For example, I know where pin seven is. I make some adjustments and release the ball. All these comes with hours of training.”
Kam Chan hopes all his sacrifices will pay off at these Games.
“I’ve a massage centre with a partner in Brickfields. My job has taken a backseat as my focus is on the Para Games now.
“Hopefully we’ll put up a good show,” said Kam Chan, who has won the singles and All-Events titles at the 2005 World Championships in South Korea.