Let the good times roll
National bowling squad grateful for chance to hit the lanes again
PETALING JAYA: Thank you, Sports
Minister!
This is the reaction within the sports family as sporting and recreational activities received government’s approval to get back into action under strict guidelines in the movement control order (MCO) area.
On Friday, a proposal by Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican was approved and certain restrictions were relaxed.
Bowling, especially was grateful, as the sport has been one of the few badly affected.
Said top male bowler Rafiq Ismail: “The bowlers are so looking forward to start bowling again. We have to do what we did the last time (after the first MCO), to strengthen the muscles and get back the feeling again.
“I’m just thankful to the government for allowing us to bowl, we’ve missed it so much.”
Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC) secretary Maradona Chok was appreciative of the ministry’s extra effort to get bowling back on its feet again.
“It’s great that the national bowlers get to bowl again at the training centre. We are now looking at some logistics matter and will announce soon when the bowlers can start hitting the pins again,” said Maradona.
“We are thankful to the minister for making this happen.”
While some other sports had been given the leeway to train under a quarantined approach system in Bukit Jalil, the bowlers had been left stranded without an alley to train.
The Sunway Megalanes did not waste any time as they were back in operation yesterday.
“We are open for business but under strict protocols. We’re happy that the government have heard our voice and approval has been given for us to run the place,” said the centre’s assistant general manager Michelle Wong, who had earlier appealed for the government to consider the plight of all the centres in Malaysia which had been badly affected.
Under the new SOP in the MCO area, competition or friendly matches under a sports bubble system are only allowed for the Malaysian Football League (MFL), Malaysian Hockey League (MHL) and Sepak Takraw League (STL) without the presence of spectators.
But for states under the conditional and recovery MCO, individual and team sports have been given the permission to operate and they are allowed to host tournaments too under a bubble model, which has been approved by the ministry.