Holloway: Ben is ready for bigger role in future

SEPANG: Ben Heng has what it takes to be the new national bowling chief coach after playing his part to lead Malaysia’s team to a successful outing at the Men’s World Championships in Hong Kong.

And the endorsement came from the current head coach Holloway Cheah, who was delighted to see Ben pass his coaching test with flying colours in Hong Kong.

The 76-year-old coach said he has grown old and it was time for his understudy, who has been with him for 11 years, to assume a bigger role in the national set-up.

“I was assisted by Ben at the world meet in Hong Kong. He did a great job and managed the team well,” said Holloway after returning home from Hong Kong at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Thursday.

“He is professional and I believe he is ready to take over my position in the near future. I’m getting old.

“Ben can read the lane patterns well but needs more experience. He has been with me since he retired from the game and I am happy with the progress he has shown as a coach.”

Ben acknowledged that he has learnt a lot from Holloway and hoped to learn more from the septuagenarian in the years to come.

“He is like a father figure to me in the world of bowling. He constantly gives me pointers and takes good care of me,” said Ben.

“It is been a pleasure working with this team. We have good camaraderie. Our players have played in professional tournaments and those experiences led us to two gold medals in the world championships.

“Right now, we need more youngsters to be part of the national bowling team. This is to ensure that we maintain our standards in world bowling.”

He was impressed with the strong showing by youngsters Rafiq Ismail and Tun Hakim Tun Hasnul Azam. Rafiq won the singles gold while Tun Hakim formed a lethal combination with Adrian Ang to roll down the doubles gold.

“Look at Rafiq and Tun Hakim. Both are below 21 and they showed the world, they are indeed world-beaters.”