KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Dr P. S. Nathan stepped down as Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC) president about a month ago after 50 years and making the country a world power in the sport. He gives an insightful interview to Timesport's Fabian Peter.
Q: You were the longest-serving president in a National Sports Association (NSA) in Malaysia. How did you achieve that?
A: There's no magic in it, just work. Almost on a daily basis I'm at the lanes talking, coaching or having meetings with my exco members. These are things required to keep an NSA active and going with the sport. If you don't do that, the NSA goes to sleep and you won't be promoting the sport. There is no secret to it.
Q: Fifty years is a specific number, did you plan this?
A: No, I didn't plan it. I work on a day to day basis, what's required for that time and what is required for the future. If you don't promote the sport, it's difficult to get funding, and without funding no NSA can move. The way to get funding is to popularise the sport, produce champions, preferably world champions to make news. Only then guys like you will write about it. If there are no world or zone champions, you guys won't be interested. We train our guys and expose them to as many championships as possible so that somewhere along the line our boys and girls can win. Our girls were the ones winning, strangely. They were good and consistent, and they were there all the time committed. The boys had stiffer and wider competition. Not that they were not good, but that's how it went.
Q: From 1974 to the day you stepped down, would you say you've achieved all your dreams and aspirations for Malaysian bowling?
A: Yes, by and large.
Q: Anything that has eluded you?
A: Funding. Funding as I said comes from publicity of the sport. That's where you folks come in. We need to wield some titles for you to write about. Get one guy from somewhere to win one title, then come to you guys and say my guy has won this. That starts the ball rolling, fundraising. People will know about it, and bring their children to bowl. Bowling is very safe; morning, noon or night, rain or shine, no drugs or anything like that. I provide the championships; local, state and national, and hold selections at state and national level, to select bowlers to go and play overseas.
Q: In the last 50 years, what were some, if not, your most memorable moment in Malaysian bowling?
A: It may sound selfish, but me winning the first National Championships (1974). Fortunately, I held it in Penang, so people can't say I held it in KL and won because I know the lanes. It happened very casually, we were there and a championship was going on. We decided to call it the National Championships and I had the ball, went and played and won to my surprise. This was because I was bowling from the outside and very few people use the outside lane, so I was able to find the line and pocket quite consistently.
Q: What was the key to successfully running the MTBC?
A: The key ingredient is to make it popular; local championships, state, national, and international. Hosting these cost money, so I had to lean on some of my wealthier friends to sponsor some parts of the events. I held regularly state and national championships, and took the guys for overseas championships.
Q: What were the challenges in the last 50 years?
A: Raising funds. Without funds, not only sports, but almost anything can't move. That's the name of the game, funds. I would say in any sport, if you got a leadership willing to work and persuade sponsors to sponsor events, if you are hardworking, you can make success.
Q: What are your hopes for the incoming president?
A: Continue on the same model, hold championships; state, national, and international. In my earlier days, you win a title alone is enough. Now, they want money with it, have to get sponsors to come in with RM3,000 or RM5,000 for champions.
Q: So many new sports are introduced at the Olympics, do you think bowling will be in it one day?
A: Very hard, I tried my very best, I spoke to every one of the selectors. They have been there very long, and know about every sport. There are seven or eight other desperate sports like us. Mainly for selfish purposes, to popularise their sport, so they can one day say you are an Olympic champion. I tried my best, got into the top four. Condition back then, the previous four had to retire for new sports to come in. Last minute in Mexico, the top four refused to retire, and they won, so there was no place for bowling. That was the end of it, I don't think bowling will get in at all. They (selectors) are self-centred, they asked me how many spectators for bowling because they want publicity. I half-bluffed them with 50,000 because there was one event in Finland with a seating capacity of 50,000. But the rest? 2,000 to 3,000 at most. It didn't attract attention. Many other sports want to come in as well.
Q: What are your plans after this?
A: As far as bowling is concerned, I'm retired. I will support bowling but I won't be actively involved in raising funds or holding championships, the two huge tasks which require a lot of presence in the bowling centre and meeting up with potential sponsors. That's why I retired, I can't find the time or the energy. I'm 90 (turning 91 this year), so to move and get going is a challenge. Lazy, as you get older, you get lazy and don't want to move. That's why I retired. I thought a younger chap can come in and take it up as a challenge. It's easier now when the sport is popular. Parents are keen on the game, because they can bring their 10-year-old children and find the place clean and neat, with no drugs.