Moh keen on comeback to honour coach Sam

CUEIST Moh Keen Hoo (pic) did not make it an all-malaysian final affair in the 6-red singles but he remains in good spirits to honour his coach Sam Chong.

The 35-year-old, who settled for bronze in the 6-red singles on Tuesday, will now switch focus to the 15-red snooker singles.

Sam, the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games champion with Ooi Chin Kay in the doubles, is unable to travel to Hanoi because of work commitments.

Sam, who was the first Malaysian to be crowned Asian champion and a four-time gold medallist at the 1995 Chiangmai SEA Games, had to cut short his illustrious career two years ago after he lost his vision partly in the left eye following a car accident.

His car hit the back of a lorry and the splinters from the shattered windscreen went into his eye.

But the 60-year-old has remained in contact with the players and is hoping for either Keen Hoo or newly crowned 6-red singles champion Lim Kok Leong to make history later in the week.

No Malaysian cueist has won the snooker singles title more than once in SEA Games history.

Keen Hoo won in Thailand in 2007 and was silver medallist in the Philippines in 2019.

“Sam called and said it’s okay as he knew I tried my best,” said Keen Hoo.

“He was coaching us on a parttime basis for this Games but could not leave his job to come here with us.

“Both of us have won the individual Games title and he wants us to try to do it again.

“Sam is like my big senior and his coaching helped us come out of certain situations,” said Penangborn Keen Hoo, who opens his campaign in the 15-red against Thai legend James Wattana in the first round today.