Sarawak Sukma bowlers will be ‘very competitive’ — Aussie expert
KUCHING: The Sarawak tenpin bowling team received a big boost in their preparation for the upcoming Sukma XIX in Perak.
Technical consultant Paul Delaney, who was instrumental in Sarawak’s success in the 2014 and 2016 Sukma, was back in the city to conduct a 10- day workshop for Sukma elite, back- up and development bowlers recently.
The Australian expert has been to Las Vegas, USA and came with new first hand information on bowling training methods.
“I am very pleased to be back in Sarawak to continue to help its bowlers. In fact, I have always been following the developments in Sarawak as I have constant contact with your head coach Jackson Ting and Abas vice president Robert Lu,” he told The Borneo Post in an interview.
According to Delaney, Sarawak will be very competitive in Perak and they will be very prepared for the challenge.
“For Sarawak to retain their crown in Perak, they need to win at least six golds,” he said.
Jackson is keeping his fingers crossed that the state bowlers can surpass the three-gold target set by Amateur Tenpin Bowling Association of Sarawak (Abas).
“We will be sending a team of six boys and six girls and I believe it will be tough for us because we will be competing at Perak’s home ground.
“In the last Sukma in Sarawak, we made a clean sweep of the 11 golds at stake because we enjoyed the home ground advantage and this time around the stage is different,” he observed.
Meanwhile, Robert Lu said the state elite bowlers have and will undergo more exposure stints locally and internationally.
For the girls, they went to the Singapore Open and brought back one gold, one silver and one bronze. The boys will be competing in the Hong Kong Open this week.
“Two of our Sukma shadow team bowlers Gillian Lim and Brandon Ting are with the national team preparing for the World Youth Bowling Championship in Detroit, USA from July 24 to Aug 3.
“Sarawak team’s final exposure outing will be the Storm U22 Summer Cup in Fukuoka, Japan in early August,” Lu added.