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A STRONG character steered the Malaysian pair of Kenny Ang and Ben Heng to
the men's doubles bowling gold at Pyramid Bowl yesterday.
And Kenny could not have better described the pressure exerted on him
and Ben to deliver the goods.
Kenny said: "We might have acted cool and not displayed any signs of
pressure but deep down, we were under tremendous stress.
"I would be lying if I said I was not nervous.
"And when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad came calling in
the midst of our games, I had butterflies n my stomach.
"We had to deliver at all costs with the Prime Minister in the audience.
"And I'm glad that we managed to keep our cool and deliver," said Kenny,
45, a former Asian Bowler of the Year.
Kenny was under such immense pressure that he became reserved and sullen
two days ago, resul-ting in him causing great worry for national coach Sid
Allen.
"I was concerned because I could see the pressure getting to Kenny,"
said Allen.
"But he went out there and it was his character and determination to do
well that saw him going.
"And I am very happy for Kenny because I know he has made big sacrifices
to be in the game.
"When I first met him six years ago, he was playing about 20 games as
part of his daily training and which he paid out of his own pocket. He
also spent thousands of ringgit on balls.
"He has made many sacrifices and he fully deserves what he has achieved
today."
Ben, the more composed of the duo, also said he was jittery at the
beginning.
"I wanted to do honours for the country and had trained very hard to
make the squad for the Com-monwealth Games," said Ben, 24, who hails from
Johor.
"But when the moment of truth came, I was nervous. But it was a great
help that our first block saw us amassing 503 pinfalls.
"That just boosted our confidence.
"I have to thank Kenny for his guidance and his coolness. He was
constantly a source of inspiration to me.
"And when he threw a 158 game in the third block and bounced back with
237 in the next, he just got me going because not everyone could do that.
"He showed steely courage and his experience was certainly a big
factor."
Allen said he was not so much concerned about the pressure getting to
Ben because the latter was one guy who just gets going and enjoys every
moment - be it a good strike or a poor throw.
"His coolness is simply superb. But then again, when the whole nation is
banking on you to deliver, there are no doubts about the pressure and Ben
handled it magnificently."
WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT OUR VICTORY
KENNY ANG: This is not my victory. It was a team effort. From my partner
Ben Heng, the coaches, the fans and officials. It belongs to the nation. A
big thank you to all of you for making this moment.
BEN HENG: We just got going today (yesterday) and everything fell into
place. Shalin and K.N. Lai set the pace in the morning with the silver and
we just wanted to carry on with the good run and hit it right. It is
indeed a moment that I will remember for a long, long time.
SID ALLEN (coach): Kenny and Ben have proven that the men's bowlers have
arrived too. It was a very difficult game out there and they showed
tremendous character to rise to the occasion. They have put tremendous
work into these Games and they fully deserved what they have achieved.
JIM PORTER (coach): There were three factors for Malaysia's victory
today. A great coach in Sid Allen, tremendous fan support and great
publicity from the media. That is three strikes in a row for you.
BILL HALL (ball specialist): This is the first time I am involved in a
team event in amateur bowling and I have never experienced such an event
today in my 20 years of pro bowling. It was a tremendous effort by the
bowlers and it is a moment which will register in me forever.
DATUK P.S. NATHAN (MTBC president): This is a team victory. From the
bowlers, the coaches, the fans, the MTBC officials, National Sports
Council, the Sports Ministry, the Government, our sponsors Land & General
and everybody who has been associated with the sport.
SIDNEY TUNG (MTBC secretary-general): This is certainly not an overnight
success or fluke. It was sheer hardwork, good planning, good support from
all quarters, the dedicated coaches and bowlers and the will to seek glory
at the highest level. And there is still more to come.
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