CONDOLENCES, TRIBUTES AND ACCOLADES CAME POURING IN AFTER HEARING THE DEMISE OF TENPIN BOWLING ICON DATUK DR PS NATHAN WHOSE LEGACY WILL BE UNMATCHED. HERE ARE SOME TRIBUTES FROM THEWORLD BOWLING FRATERNITY
Canadian Sid Allen, Malaysian bowling coach for a decade (1990-2000)
When I think of Doc its hard to not him as member of the formidable trio of Doc, Peter Yap & Sidney Tung.
Doc was so unique, I have never met anyone like Doc, he exuded patience, calmness and above all else class.
His integrity was impeccable, a beacon for us all to strive to be. He governed world bowling during its finest years, his passion stood out whenever he was faced with difficult moments.
Doc, as a leader he was a delegator, his biggest flaw was he trusted everyone. I will miss his cheeky smile.
Lydia Rypcinski - International Media Officer from USA
I'm stunned to see this news of the demise of Dr Nathan.
Dr. Nathan was like alpha and omega to Malaysian bowling, his presence and influence were so large.
Many condolences to his family and the Malaysian and Asian bowling communities.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports could not have picked a more appropriate and qualified person than Datuk Low Beng Choo, to head the independent committee to resolve any disputes raised by members of a sports body or from the organisation itself.
The Ministry named Low, the Softball Asia president and World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) secretary-general, as the head of the formed committee under the Sport Development Act.
The committee will act as an independent organisation that will seek solutions to a sports-related dispute if they fail to be resolved internally and the Youth and Sports minister, will not be directly involved in any conflict resolution proceedings.
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The committee comprises a chairman and four other members, all of whom must have extensive experience and knowledge in sports and are appointed by the minister.
Low, the committee’s chairman, will have four members namely – Malaysian National Cycling Federation vice-president Amarjit Singh Gill, sports law lecturer Jady Zaidi Hassim, former Malaysian Hockey Confederation deputy president Datuk Dr S Shamala and former national squash player Sharon Wee.
Low a lawyer by profession, was a former national netball and softball player, participated in various other sports, namely, field hockey and athletics, at various other levels. She has also coached netball and softball at various levels, and served as umpire, technical official and team manager.
She has extensive knowledge of sports not only in Malaysia, but the world around.
She was first asked to head the committee early in the year, but took her time to accept, as she had to consider whether she could spare the time, considering her hectic schedule as a lawyer, president of Softball Asia, secretary-general with the world body, her involvement with the SEA Games Federation as an advisor and several other international committees.
Besides, Low has had experienced the joy and bitterness in her long association with sports in Malaysia and was obviously was careful to take a decision to plunge into it again.
To top it all, Low is one person, who when undertakes a responsibility, gives nothing short of 100 percent of her time and effort.
“I finally decided to inform Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, that I will accept the nomination, as my services was required by the nation and they believed that I can contribute and make a difference,” said Low who has served as a member of Sport Advisory Panel to the Malaysian Ministers of Youth and Sports Malaysia for various terms between 2004 to 2016
“I am counting on my committee members to give me their fullest cooperation to work in the name of sports and make decisions based on facts and fairness.”
Besides, Low’s involvement in sports as a player and administrator, she is the best person for the job, as sports arbitration is her forte having served as Chair of Olympic Council of Malaysia Legal Advisory & Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee (2013 to 2015), current member of the Ethics Committee of the International World Games Organisation and of the Ethics Commission of the Commonwealth Games Federation.
Low’s background in sports is a long and distinguished one.
Below is listed her various associations:
Served as an elected member (annual elections) of Malaysia Bar Council (1996 to March 2016)
Served on various committees of the Bar Council, such as Conveyancing Practice Committee, Corporate & Commercial Law Committee, Family Law Committee, Legal Profession Committee, Law Reform Committee, Lawyers’ Welfare Committee, Court Liaison Committee, Organising Committees of Bar’s events and activities
Served as Court Liaison Committee, Cultural and Charity Committee, and Law Reform & New Legislation Committee
Currently still serving as a member of Conveyancing Practice Committee
Registered Mediator of the Malaysian Bar Council Mediation Centre
International Level
Current Secretary-General of World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) (May 2014 to current date)
Current First Vice Chair of the Softball Division of the WBSC
Current Chair of WBSC Integrity Unit, tasked with the establishment and set-up of that Unit
Current member of the WBSC Team for the Los Angeles Olympics 2028
campaign. Served as a member of the WBSC Team that successfully campaigned
for the inclusion of Baseball-Softball onto the Tokyo 2020 programme.
Served as a member of the ISF Strategic Task Force of the “Back-Softball”
Campaign for softball (2006 – 2012) and WBSC the Baseball-Softball “Swing for
the Fences” campaign [2012 to current date] for re-inclusion of both baseball and
softball onto the Olympic Games program
Served as Secretary General of Interim Board of the WBSC (2012 – 2014) – the
Interim Board undertook the task of the merger of the International Baseball
Federation (IBAF) and International Softball Federation (ISF) into the newly
established WBSC recognised by the IOC as the international governing
federation for both baseball and softball
Served as Secretary General of ISF (now under WBSC as WBSC Softball
Division) [2009 to current date] and Deputy Secretary General of ISF [2006 to
2009]
Served as Chair of ISF Legislative Commission [2007, 2011 – 2013], ISF Women
President of SCA [2010 – 2014] and Honorary Life President in 2014
Served as Secretary General, SCA [formerly known as Amateur Softball
Association-Asia (ASA-Asia)] [2002 to 2009], Vice President, ASA-Asia [1990-
2002]
Served as Chair of Laws Committee, ASA-Asia [1990-2002] – the Committee
undertook the task of drafting of the Constitution for ASA-Asia and strategic
planning for the revival of ASA-Asia in 1990, and the reviewing the SCA
Constitution in 2002
Served as Technical Committee Member/Jury Member: for Softball for Asian Games Busan – Korea [September 2002]; Olympic Games Athens – Greece [August 2004]; 24th World University Games Bangkok – Thailand [August 2007]
Served as Technical Delegate: for 11th world Women’s Softball Championship Beijing – China [August 2006], Asian Games Doha – Qatar [December 2006]; Asia-Oceania Olympics 2008 Qualifier, Tainan – Taiwan [February 2007]; Asian Women Softball Championship Jakarta – Indonesia [August 2007]; South East Asian Games Bangkok/Korat – Thailand [December 2007]; Olympic Games Beijing – China [August 2008]; World Games Kaohsiung – Taiwan [July 2009]; Asian Games Guangzhou – China [November 2010]
Served as Vice Chair, Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport (CABOS) (2010 to
expiry of term-limit in 2012):
Member of CABOS [2005 to 2010]
Served as a member of Commonwealth Games Federation Coordination Commission for the Commonwealth Games Gold Coast – Australia 2018
Served as the Chair of the Federation Court for the Commonwealth Games Gold Coast – Australia 2018
Sports – National Level
Served as Vice-President Olympic Council of Malaysia, (OCM) [2002 to 2015] and as Secretary General of OCM [2015 – 2018]:
Served as a member of OCM Media & Public Relations Committee [2005 to
2007], OCM Sports Museum & Hall of Fame [2007 – 2009]; OCM Medical &
Anti-Doping Committee [2005 to 2009]
Served as Chef de Mission for Malaysia national contingent to South East Asian
Games Manila 2005
Member of the Organising Committee for the South East Asian Games Kuala
Lumpur 2017 and Secretary of the Technical (and Sports) Committee
Served as Chair of Special Technical Committee, Malaysian Games (2007 – 2017)
Malaysia’s largest multi-sports event
Served a member of Management Board of Malaysia National Sports Council [for various terms between 2008 – 2019]
Served as President of Softball Association of Malaysia [1999 to April 2014]:
One for the album for 90 attendees who gathered in Alor Setar for a reunion of veteran officials and athletes organised by J Naidu and Garauda Sports Club.
IT was a heartwarming week to witness ex-internationals and ex-officials actively involved in keeping the sports spirit alive.
I was in Alor Setar and Ipoh this week, and what I witnessed left a glow in me. I personally witnessed the dedication of these former athletes and officials.
My first stop was in Alor Setar last Saturday where I was invited by my former colleague J. Naidu who organised the reunion gathering and pre-Deepavali celebration on behalf of his athletics club – Garuda Athletics Club and Kedah Indian Sports Council.
Fifty-eight sports personalities of yesteryear – sportsmen and officials – attended the function which, besides being a pre-Deepavali gathering, was also a reunion of an event six years ago that Naidu organised too – honour veteran sports personalities of Kedah.
What was remarkable about the event was that everyone paid for the dinner, while Naidu managed ro secure some donations from well-wishers.
Organiser J Naidu honouring some of the guests.
A surplus from the event, after subtracting the expenses, was donated to the Kedah Indian Sports Council, M. Uthaya Sanker the president.
Indeed, a noble deed. When there was little or no recognition of past sporting personalities, they organised their own gathering to reminisce about the good old days, meet up with old friends, and renew their comradeship.
Among those present and recognised at the dinner were the current Kedah AA secretary, S.Govindarajoo, former hockey official, Utam Singh, S.Krishnamurthy (Grandmaster of Taekwondo at the national level), those 65 above who attended – former Kedah HA secretary J. Ramadas, former Kedah AA secretary S Padamanathan, ex hockey international Ron Thiagaraja and former Kedah hockey goalkeeper D. Subramaniam.
Also present were ex Olympian hockey player M. Surenthiran and his brother, former national hockey player M Subramaniam, ex-national football player Victor Andrag who is Kedah M-League team assistant coach, and Datuk Papu Ignatius, former national middle-distance runner, and former national long-distance runner S. Balakrishnan and George Daniel were present.
Three Chinese – former Kedah soccer coach and ex-national soccer star Azraai Khor, former Kedah hockey goalkeeper Hong Chur Liang and current Kedah AA Vice President Loo Yook Khin were also present as invited guests.
Azraai, who speaks fluent Tamil, gave a speech in Tamil.
Then in Ipoh, for the Sultan Nazrin Shah and Tuanku Zara Cup international men’s and women’s indoor hockey tournament from Nov 6-11, it was delightful to see the Perak HA president Datuk Hj Mohd Sayuti Abd Samat, an ex-national goalkeeper, at the association.
The 65-year-old businessman and second-term president of PHA, is the first former national player to lead the PHA in its history.
To top it all off, Sayuti was conferred the Darjah Dato Paduka Mahkota Perak
( DPMP), which carries the title Dato’, on Saturday, November 5th) at Istana Iskandariah in Kuala Kangsar, Perak , by Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbnuddin Shah Al-Maghfur Lah, in conjunction with his 67 th birthday’s; It was awarded to a hockey player after more than 40 years since Datuk R. Yogeswaran and Datuk Poon Fook Loke were the first recipients.
Perak HA President, Datuk Hj Mohd Sayuti Abd Samat.
Sayuti is a clear case of a player who rose through the ranks, and his humility and humbleness are his trademarks.
Many may mistake the PHA president, who is also the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) independent council member and recently appointed MHC coaching committee chairman, as another layman.
He is often seen walking around the Perak Stadium during tournaments, engaging with the fans, and being easily approachable.
This was again at the Sultan Nazrin Shah & Tuanku Zara Cup – Men’s & Women’s international indoor hockey tournament.
He is indeed a grassroots man, having come from the bottom.
His position as president and his conferred Datukship title has not changed him, as he is always friendly and down-to-earth.
He does not have any airs about himself and is always on the ground.
And that he invited several of his teammates to attend the event only underlined that he does not forget friends.
Among those who were present were K. Rajan, who has also been appointed to do development work in Perak, R. Ramakrishnan and Mohamad Hadi were all given the honour to present Man of the Match awards.
“I am just giving back to the game what it has given me,” said the Sungai Korok Parit, born Sayuti.
Sayuti played for the nation from 1977 to 1985.
Then, there was former national footballer and national and Perak coach, Datuk M. Karathu, who after his routine morning walk, came to the stadium to watch the Malaysian men’s and women’s teams play.
It was indeed a great gesture by Karathu to drop by and support another sport, although his presence went unnoticed by many.
If only we had more ex-sportsmen involved in the management of sports in the country, maybe we could see a vast improvement in the development and management of sports in general.
Congratulations to Sayuti for showing the way, and hopefully, more ex-sportsmen and women emulate him, and sports associations will give them an opportunity.
And finally, my week in Ipoh was made complete when I met up with former national athletes Josephine Mary and her husband Samson Vallabouy – the parents of Shereen Vallabouy, the US-based athlete – who won the 400m bronze medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Josephine and Samson were coaching athletes from Panthers Athletics Club at Perak Stadium on Saturday morning.
On weekdays, Josephine is coaching 8 Under-10 girls athletes under the Perak Sports Council athletics development program together with two other coaches – former national athlete and coach K. Jayabalan and Kalaiye Selvan – who handle a total of 85 athletes.
All three are key coaches of the Panther Athletics Club which has produced 18 SEA Games gold medalists, not counting the many silver and bronze medalists who have come from their club.
Dedicated and experienced coaches like them are what we need, especially in grassroots. Little wonder Perak has been doing well at the Malaysia Games (SUKMA).
And cap the week, on the eve of Deepavali, Jayabalan invited his athletes and friends to dinner at his house.
Truly Malaysian concept and it was delightful to see athletes and coaches of multi-racial ethnics miggle freely and enjoy the food and camaraderie.
There is an age-old saying ‘Behind Every Great Man Is A Great Woman’ and it cannot better describe national hockey coach Anthoni Arul Selvaraj’s wife, former national athlete, Soloseeni Krishnan.
This expression originated sometime in the first half of the 1900s. People use it to try to give recognition to the wives or mothers of successful men. This is because the women often helped the men in their lives a lot, but their work went unrecognised.
Arul, named the ‘Coach of the Year’ on Sunday, the 49-year-old former national player, who had set up his home in Dublin, Ireland 15 years ago, indeed owes a great deal to Solo, as his wife is affectionately known, as he uprooted himself from Dublin as a hockey coach to a couple of countries before landing back in Malaysia.
Solo, when I met her and her eldest daughter Tharine in Dublin last week, where I was a technical official for the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) for their Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage Group A in Ireland, this is what she had to say about Arul being away from home: “Since 2012 August, up to now, he has been in and out of the country.
“He came back home for good in 2019 September but unfortunately early 2020 the Covid-19 lockdown happened, and he lost his income. Fortunately he got this offer as head coach for men’s team in Malaysia, and he grabbed the opportunity. Otherwise he would have jobless until 2021, when match only over here when hockey resumed and other business as well up, running as usual.”
Solo said it was a tough decision for her to allow Arul to take up the offer in Malaysia, as she had to manage the three girls – Tharine, Erin and Deepa – all by herself and bring them up to the best of her ability and Arul’s strict demands how the girls should be brought up.
“Arul is a humble and simple man, but a disciplinarian with great values towards life. He wanted to bring the girls up that way,” said the former athlete whose pet event was 800m.
Solo loves the quote: Life is a balance between holding on and letting go – Rumi-, and has given her best to balance well and holding on.
“I think I have managed well and been supportive of Arul, and glad that I played my role, although it was difficult at the start,” said Solo who has competed in the 1988 Commonwealth Games in KL, the Chiangmai (1995) and Jakarta (1997) Sea Games in 800m and 4 X 400 quartet.
But it was hockey which was her first love and represented Negri Sembilan, her home town, where she led a simple life as an estate girl at the Kirby Estate, where her parents worked (father as a carpenter and mother as a rubber tapper).
The ninth of ten children, Solo used to help her mother during her rubber tapping rounds.
“Being brought up in a poor family, where values of life was utmost important from my parents, helped me a great deal in bringing up my children.
“Arul has thought the children to always be humble, respect everyone and never value life with material things or money.
“Here daily we past churches, temples and even mosques and he has thought the children, always to take bow when we pass, as a mark of respect.”
Having met Tharine twice – once when he came back with Arul for a short vacation and in Dublin last week, indeed Arul and Solo have raised a respectful and warm person, who was a delight to be with.
Arul’s two other children Erin and Deepa, are currently on a short break with him here and Solo will be here next month for prayers for her late mother who passed away recently but was unable to attend the funeral.
The next question to her was that with a sporting genes parents, if any of the daughters were into sports.
“All are into sports in school, but except for Erin, the others just took it was a recreational sports,” said Solo who also represented Negri Sembilan in hockey at Sukma and inter-state.
“Erin is into athletics and I train her personally, but athletics is not big here and hardly gets any big competition. If she keeps up her interest, then maybe we have to look into other opportunities to pursue her athletics career.
Solo’s involvement with athletics was because she took it as a challenge to represent the nation after she was dropped as a 17-year-old for the national women’s hockey team for the Singapore 1993 Sea Games.
“I was upset, although I was only 17, felt that I was good to make the squad and was unjustly dropped. It was then I quit hockey and moved on to athletics,” said Solo with a tinge of sadness but full of pride and joy that he took the challenge and managed to represent the nation in another sport – athletics.
“I took the next 18 months seriously and qualified as an athlete for the 1995 Chiangmai Sea Games.
“I am a fighter and work hard to achieve what I set out to do. And I suppose it is these traits that help me manage the home here in Dublin, although Arul was not around.
“Hockey was my passion and wanted to represent the nation to follow the footsteps of my older late sister (Deviswarry) by five years to me, who represented the national women’s hockey team at the 1989 and 1991 Sea Games and Asian Games.”
Deviswarry, a mother of three, passed on at the age of 49 after short illness.
“Devi was in the limelight in hockey as a school girl when the Kirby School won the Negri Sembilan State championship.
“Naturally, I wanted to follow her footsteps and when it did not happen, I was determined to became a national athlete in a different sports.”
Solo said she was asked to switch to athletics as early as her schooldays when she trained with her King George V School hockey team and the late Negri and later national athletics coach, JV Jayan spotted her, when he had athletic training at the school field after her hockey training.
“Coach Jayan asked me many times to switch to athletics as he said he saw the potential in me. But was so focused on hockey, that I declined the offer.
“But after being dropped for the national hockey team in 1993, I decided it was athletics for me and took it up seriously to full fill me dream to become a national athlete.”
Solo said besides Jayan he had to thank many former athletes and coaches who made her athletics career take off.
“Besides recommending me for a job with Maybank, which was big into athletics at that time, many coaches groomed me too.
“Among them include Sitheravellu Sathasivam, Stanley Sreedheran, Murugiah, Nur Herman Majid,Harun Rashid, late Mohd Hanifah Nasir, R. Jeganathan to name a few.
“At the national level, the late Pavel Litovvhenko (passed away 2010) guided me a great deal, while wife, Liliya (Russian Olympian middle-distance runner who was the silver medalist in the 800m at the 1992 Olympics) who was in Malaysia with her husband, personally helped me to become a better athlete.
“I am still in touch with her who is in Moscow coaching the tennis team.”
Solo’s personal best at the 800m was set in 1997 at the Chinese Taipei Open where she clocked 2.07.88 which was just off the current national record (2.07.44) set by Josephine Mary Singarayar at the 1986 at the Seoul Asian Games.
Other impressive records Solo achieved Negri Sembilan Sportswoman of the Year in 1997, Sportswomen national inter-bank in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and hold several records at the state meet championships till now.
Fellow athletes she used to train with include the likes of Nur Herman, Kenny Martin, Yusri Sijam, Azliy Izahar, Ratimalar, Mogan Rajoo and Vasu Subramaniam.
“So it has not been a bed of roses for me all along and have been brought up to fight hard for whatever I wanted to achieve even against the odds, and I am glad that I have come this far.
“Not bad for an estate girl now living in Dublin, married to a famous hockey coach and have three beautiful children uh,” asked Solo with a burst of laughter with her daughter giving her the looks.
Indeed, Solo has done well and can be proud of herself and when she celebrates her 50th birthday on Wednesday (July 26), she certainly can look back with her achievement with pride and joy.
Happy birthday Solo and Arul must surely be very proud and lucky to have you as his woman in his life.
Christmas in DublinSolo passing the baton to third runner G.ShantiSolo’s accreditation card for the Chingmai Sea Games in 1995
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