BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
FOR national coach Lim Tat Hwe, this year is a ‘golden’ year for cue sports and he couldn’t have asked for more following the successful campaign of his players in international tournaments.
“Overall it was a very good year because of the results produced at the 3rd Borneo Games and 25th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. The players have really stepped up a notch to up their level for the sport,” said Lim in an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.
“I can say that this is one of the best years in my coaching career because of the achievements of my players,” added Lim, who joined the national side in 2006.
Ak Mohd Saiful Azri Pg Roslee was the golden cueist after he swept all the events in the recently-concluded 3rd Borneo Games to be named the Games’ best male athlete at the Nov 29 – Dec 6 event.
In addition, Ahmad Taufiq M Murni won the nine-ball doubles event with Ak Mohd Saiful Azri and settled for silver for both the nine-ball and eight-ball events losing out to his partner.
The national coach gives the credit to the players for putting in all their efforts and hard work into training that showed through their performances.
The national cueists made up of Teo Chee Soon, Ak Mohd Saiful Azri, Ahmad Taufiq M Murni and Muhammad Alias Hj Rashid are currently taking a break and will resume training on Jan 4 at the Billiards & Snooker Hall of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas.
When asked on what the aims for the new year are, the 36-year-old replied: “I would like to bring the players out for more tournaments eventhough we know the level of competition is high. But this is a good chance for them to prove themselves as the biggest target is to make it to the Asian Games in Guangzhou next year.
“I’m positive of the players but I’ll need them to set a benchmark to have any chance to making it for the Games,” added Lim.
The next big tournament on the calendar is the Asia vs Europe 9-Ball Team Challenge 2009 slated for Jan 15-17 at Sutra Hall, Rizqun International Hotel, in Gadong and the Sultanate’s very own, Teo, the No 2 in Brunei and No 50 in Asian Pocket Billiard Union (APBU) will be playing in the competition.
“It’s going to be tough to play against these world class players. But since the format is a race to five with alternate breaks, it can be anyone’s game,” said Lim.
“With his skills, he just needs to make some clean breaks and he should have a good chance of winning some matches against the top players,” added Lim.
Teo teamed up with His Royal Highness Prince Hj Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, at the recent 25th SEA Games in Laos.
The competition, sponsored by GHK Motors Sdn Bhd, offers a lucrative sum of US$27,000 for the team champions. The runners-up will get US$13,000. Winner of the singles’ category earns US$5,000.
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