BRIEF HISTORY

The Malaysian Snooker & Billiards Federation (MSBF) was formally registered with the Registrar of Societies (ROS) in 1989. It was initially an off-shoot of the Federal Territory Billiards & Snooker Association (FTBSA) which was founded in 1980. By the advent of the Sports Development Act, 1979, all sports associations were transferred to be registered under the Sports Commissioner’s Office (SCO), for which MSBF became its registrant, duly recognized by the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), Ministry of Youth & Sports (KBS) and National Sports Council (NSC or MSN).

Prior to 1980, the game of billiards & snooker was not at all popular in Malaysia; it was mainly played among the elites in colonial clubs, where a couple of snooker tables were usually housed. At the lowest level, it was played by taxi-drivers in single shop-lot units for unhealthy gambling activities, one main game thereof is skittle comprising small wooden pins.

At the elite club level, members treated the game merely as an occasional social recreation. The most popular games played at the time were English billiards, snooker, American snooker, skittle and a host of other such variations e.g. Russian pool; volunteer snooker etc.

It was in the late 70s that regional championships, such as the Asean billiards championships, were first introduced and being competed  on a tripartite basis among Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. This then generated certain interest in competitive match play, particularly when snooker was becoming increasingly popular in the United Kingdom, especially the Pot Black series, due to the advent of colour television with great prize moneys accompanying therewith. This eventually snowballed and spread its wings into the Far East, starting from Bangkok where it was spearheaded by the late Maurice Kerr.

In the early 80s, there were a concerted effort, again pioneered by the late M Kerr, to form an Asian body to promote snooker within its  region, as at the material time, Asian voice was barely felt within the international arena especially under the then European dominated International Billiards & Snooker Federation (IBSF). Headed by the late Maurice Kerr of Thailand, the Asian Billiards & Snooker Federation (ABSF), now renamed the Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports (ACBS), was officially inaugurated in 1984 with eight founding member countries, of which Malaysia was one.

The First Asian Snooker Championship was held in Bangkok that year, which was participated by Malaysia under the banner of the FTSBA. To-day, a total of 26 annual snooker championships had been successively concluded. In addition, the Asian country membership has since grown from the original 8 to 32 to-day

Meanwhile, the top-rank snooker professionals from the UK began their promotional tours to the Far East, including Malaysia. Consequently, snooker started prospering, with snooker centres mushroomed and flourished throughout Malaysia. The “man in the street” could then play snooker located in commercial centres, instead of being restricted to the privileged colonial elite clubs, with the largest thereof at the peak being the Goldash Snooker Centre, which had a set-up of some 122 snooker tablesl!

And Malaysia continued to participate in the Asian Snooker Championships under its FTSBA flagship. It was, however, felt the time was ripe for Malaysia to form its national association for country representation in all overseas and regional championships.

In 1986, the office-bearers of FTBSA became en-bloc the pro-tem committee of the MSBF; after a considerable tussle with the Registrar of Societies (ROS), the MSBF was finally in 1989 registered and was inaugurated with the due recognition of the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) as the only National Sport Association (NSA) for the sport of "billiards and snooker" in Malaysia.

After 1984, the MBSF even in its infantile formative years remained very active within the ABSF with its president, W Y Chin (now a professor), holding its secretary general portfolio from 1987 to 1994 and remained thereafter as its executive vice presidency till 2007. The MSBF, in fact, was partly instrumental in getting the game of "billiards and snooker" included in the sports programme of the SEA Games Federation, thereby debuted the competition of the billiards sport in the Jakarta SEA Games in 1987 and has since been continuously competing till this very day.

n 1998, “billiards & snooker” was competed for the first time in the 13th Asian Games and subsequently in the 14th Busan Asian Games in 2002 and the 15th Doha Asian Games in 2006. It will be competed in the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou in 2010. Additionally in 1997, it was successfully enlisted into the Commonwealth Games sports programme and will be debuted in the 2nd Asian Indoor Games in Macau scheduled from October 26 to November 3, 2007.

Furthermore, MSBF had over the years organized many major snooker championships, including the 4th Asian Snooker Championship, in Kuala Lumpur, in 1987 and recently the 5th Asian U21 Snooker Championship. It has also sent teams to take part in various multi-sport events, regional tournaments and, in recent years, in the pool championships as well, the prominent one being the Guinness 9 Ball Pool Asian Tour held in the Genting Highlands on June 15-17, 2007.

Currently, by instrument of Prof Dato’ W Y Chin’s efforts, the MSBF is indirectly involved, present and past, in the active administration of the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM); Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports (ACBS); International Billiards & Snooker Federation (IBSF) & the World Confederation of Billiards Sports (WCBS), including as founding chairman of the Asian Referees Examiners & Control Panel.

THE CONSTITUTION

The constitution of the MSBF provides for it management by a Council comprising 2 accredited representatives from each of its established State Associations. The couple of Founding Members thereof shall remain constitutionally a permanent member on the governing Council and enjoy equal rights/privileges of membership belonging to each State Member. As stated earlier, the MSBF was now registered under the Sports Development Act under the jurisdiction of the Sports Commissioner’s Office.

FINANCE
 

Due to its good performance in multi-sport participation, NSC is providing the main thrust of financial support for the MSBF to develop the sport. Apart from introducing the sport in schools, NSC is also sponsoring overseas participation for tournaments and engaging coaches from time to time to train the athletes. MSBF with the assistance of NSC has since set up a National Training Centre located at the 7th floor of Casa 1at Bt Jalil to train full-time the National Squad players.

The MSBF is basically funded by the NSC for its development projects being designated as one of the 19 sports for performance potentials. It is also funded by private donations and sanctioned fees from snooker centers throughout Malaysia.

All MSBF officers are working on a honorary basis by election and appointment, except for the Executive Secretary who is paid an honorarium by both the MSBF and the NSC. Council also pays subsidies to its panel of appointed coaches. 

AFFILIATIONS
 

The MSBF has attained the following recognition status:
1) Ordinary Member of the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM);
2) Recognized Affiliate of the National Sports Council, Malaysia (NSC);
3) Registered as a National Sport Association (NSA) under the Malaysian Sports Commissioner’s Office; (SCO);
4) Member of the Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports (ACBS)
5) Member of the International Billiards & Snooker Federation (IBSF), and
6) Through the IBSF, member of the World Confederation of Billiards Sports (WCBS).

ACHIEVEMENTS
 

1) Sam Chong & Ooi Chin Kay became the Asian Snooker Champion in 1990 (Indonesia) and
    1994 (Bangladesh) respectively;

2) Sam Chong became a professional and had once ranked below 100 in the professional circuit of the World Snooker Association;

3) In 1996, Sam Chong was awarded "Sportsman of the Year"; "Olympic of the Year" and
    "Sportswriters Award of the Year”; and in 2000 had be bestowed the title "AMN" by His Royal
    Majesty the Yang di pertuan Agong. He is also inducted into the Hall of Fame of OCM & Sports Excel;

4) Malaysia won 6 gold medals in the XVIII SEA Games, Chiangmai and became the Group Champion thereof;

5) Malaysia became the Group Champion of the Far-East Region for the 1996 Snooker World Cup;

6) In 1999, Malaysian won the Team Champion event organized by the UAE; and qualified for the
    2002 UK World Cup for 2002.

7) In 2004, Moh Keen Ho was the runner-up of the Asian U21 and in the following year the Asian U21 champion.
 

8) Asian Games achievements:
    1998 Bangkok Asian Games - 1 Gold & 1 Silver Medal;

    2006 Doha Asian Games -1 Silver;

8) SEA Games achievements:

2005 Manila SEA Games – 1 Silver; 5 Bronze medals;
2003 Vietnam SEA Games - 3 Silver Medals;
2001 Kula Lumpur SEA Games – 2 Silver & 1 Bronze Medals;
1999 Brunei SEA Games - 1 Gold & 3 Silver Medals;
1997 Jakarta SEA Games - 2 Gold & 1 Silver Medal;
1995 Chiangmai SEA Games - 6 Gold, 3 Silver & 3 Bronze Medals;
1993 Singapore SEA Games - 2 Gold , 1 Silver & 3 Bronze Medals;
1991 Manila SEA Games - 1 Gold & 3 Bronze Medals;
1989 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games – (No Event)
1987 Jakarta SEA Games - 1 Silver Medal & 1 Bronze Medal;

Through the personal appointments of Prof Dato’ W Y Chin, the MSBF president, Malaysia enjoys the
following positions, present and past, within the billiards institutions worldwide;

a) Secretary General, Asian Billiards & Snooker Federation;
b) Vice President, International Billiards & Snooker Federation;
c) Executive Vice-President, Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports;
d) Vice President, Olympic Council of Malaysia;
e) Secretary General, World Confederation of Billiards Sports;
f ) Chairman, Referees Control Panel & Referees Examiners Panel ACBS;
g) Organizing Chairman & International Delegate, XVIII, XX, XXI, XXII. XXIII & XXV SEA Games;
h) Organizing Chairman & International Delegate, 13th, 14th and 15th Asian Games;
i)  International Delegate, VI & VII World Games;
j)  Deputy Chef-de-Mission, Malaysian Contingent to XIX SEA Games, 1997, Jakarta;
k) Chef-de-Mission, Malaysian Contingent to XVII Commonwealth Games, 2002, Manchester;
l)  Executive and Council Member, SEA Games Federation.
m)Chairman, Rules Committee, SEA Games Federation;
n) Executive Board, Malaysia Amateur Athletics Union;

o) Member, National Sports Council, Malaysia;

p) Alternative Board Member, National Sports Council;

q) Executive Board, Steering Committee for 8 Core Sports.

r) Member, Arbitration Panel, OCM

s) Executive Board, National Board for Coaching, Malaysia

Source: WY Chin