KUALA LUMPUR: For long, Malaysian cue sports have found it hard to get funding from the National Sports Council (NSC) for development.
Things could change, thanks to Malaysia hosting the 2027 Sea Games.
In the snooker sense, it's not a direct shot, but requires a bit of "positional play" via Penang, and not Kuala Lumpur.
This came after the Penang state government applied to to the Youth and Sports Ministry to host the 2027 Sea Games cue sports at the Northern Region Snooker and Billiard Academy Centre in Bayan Baru. And RM15 million will be allocated for it.
Malaysian Snooker and Billiards Federation (MSBF) president Melvin Chia said it is good to see the Penang state government allocating a big budget for cue sports, and the national body is ready to offer technical assistance.
"It's a big amount from the Penang government and we are happy with their support for snooker and billiards. Hosting an international competition can be costly and their willingness to spend is a positive signal."
Melvin said there should be post-Sea Games plans, and the venue could be used for sports development programmes for the future.
"We need to think about things post-Sea Games. We haven't had any development programmes to produce new talent for years because we don't get any funds from the National Sports Council," said Melvin.
"Our cueists are part-timers who train by themselves, so having a centre in Penang is a good start for the future. It can be used as a centre for us to run proper programmes."
Currently, the nation's top cueists — Sea Games champions Moh Keen Ho, Lim Kok Leong and Rory Thor — are from Penang.