GEORGE TOWN: Snooker and billiards players, especially from Penang, are expected to contribute gold medals to the national contingent at the 2027 SEA Games, said Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
She said Penang indeed has outstanding players in the sport of snooker and billiards, so with the availability of specialized training facilities such as the Northern Region Billiards and Snooker Academy in Bayan Baru, it can produce more champions in the sport.
“For the SEA Games, we are indeed hopeful that athletes from this state will help us get gold medals,“ she told reporters after inaugurating the Northern Region Billiards and Snooker Academy in Bayan Baru near here, today.
Also present were Youth, Sports and Health Committee Chairman, Penang Billiards and Snooker Association President Datuk Michael Tan Cheong Heng and Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tsin.
Elaborating further, Hannah said Penang had also offered to host the 2027 SEA Games and she hoped that snooker and billiards would also be contested in the state depending on the decision of the organising committee.
Commenting on the development of the sport, she said training centres such as the Northern Region Billiards and Snooker Academy allow athletes to train consistently without having to move places, thus helping the development of talent from an early stage.
In addition, she said currently only three national players in the sport of snooker and billiards are in the Podium Programme, but it is estimated that there are around 300,000 active players in the sport nationwide.
“Snooker and billiards is suitable for all ages, and we even promote them for the elderly because it does not depend on weather factors,“ she said.
Meanwhile, Hannah said the proposal to open more snooker academies in other states depends on the commitment of the state government and also the level of activity of the association at the state level.
“To create a center like this is not cheap. The National Sports Council (MSN) has allocated RM500,000 for equipment while the state government has provided RM1.3 million for renovation works. So I can’t promise that it will be opened in all states,“ she said.
On the issue of licensing snooker and billiards centres, Hannah said there were still constraints since the sport has been categorised as entertainment by some local authorities (PBT), hence it was subject to entertainment tax.
“I have raised this issue to all state Youth and Sports Exco, but the action is still not comprehensive because it depends on the policies of each state and their respective local authorities,“ she said.
She said her ministry is also always ready to provide support and confirmation letters to centres that are eligible to carry out snooker and billiards sports activities to facilitate the licensing process.
