The Executive Committee of the Asian Bowling Federation (ABF) has fined the Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC) 50,000 Malaysian Ringgit (approx. USD 15,800) for "various breaches of WTBA tournament sanctioning rules, regulations and protocols".

The issue a.k.a. "Scandal over 300 Perfect Game Award" goes back to the 29th Malaysian International Open Bowling Championships (March 21 - April 1, 2006), in which the MTBC had announced a cash award of RM50,000 (approx. US$ 13,500 at that time) for the bowler who rolled the first 300 game in the Open Masters Finals. The tournament including the 300 Perfect Game Award was sanctioned by both ABF and WTBA.

When the sponsor of the 300 Perfect Game Award pulled out, it was probably too embarrassing for MTBC president and former WTBA president Dato Dr. Ponkuchamy Satkuna Nathan (archive picture) to inform the sanctioning bodies that the MTBC wanted to reduce the award drastically.

When Syed Ibrahim from the UAE rolled the tournament's first 300 game in the first 8-game block of the Open Masters final, he was stunned when he - instead of RM50,000 - was awarded with … a Canon printer.

Syed Ibrahim and the Emirates Bowling Federation (EBF) made a formal protest but the MTBC refused to pay out the cash award. The ABF Executive Committee and the General Assembly have decided in August 2006 that the MTBC has to pay the money as bowlers who pay to participate in the Malaysian Open were attracted by the prize money. And only the format and rules INCLUDING the 300 Perfect Game Award were sanctioned by ABF and WTBA.

However, the MTBC has ignored the decision and did not respond to ABF nor paid the money to Syed Ibrahim.

Subsequently ABF President Sheikh Talal M. Al Sabah, Kuwait, left, has establish a Dispute Resultion Panel consisting of three ABF Executive Committee members - one each from the three different ABF Zones - to further review the claims made by EBF and Syed Ibrahim and to present its recommendation to the ABF Executive Committee.

Almost two years after the scandal the ExCom decided at its meeting held in Hong Kong on Feb. 24, 2008, that "MTBC be fined RM50,000 being equivalent to the 300 Perfect Game Award" with the "payment to be made within 7 days from the date of notification to MTBC and received by ABF latest by 3 March 2008".

They threatened to take drastic measures if the MTBC ignored the decision once again or refused to pay the fine including withdrawal of the sanctioning from all MTBC tournaments and suspension of the ABF membership which would have resulted in a complete disaster for bowling in Malaysia.

Six days later Professor Leung Mee-Lee, Honorary Secretary General of the Asian Bowling Federation, has announced that ABF has received the sum of RM50,000 and accordingly no further action is now required to be taken by ABF.

However, the issue is not over yet as MTBC might appeal to WTBA or even go court to sue the ABF. This has become the hobby of PS Nathan since he had to withdraw from WTBA presidency during the WTBA congress in 2003 in his own country.

In 2005 Nathan has sued bowling's governing body, the Federation Internationale des Quilleurs (FIQ), at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Lausanne, which resulted in costs of approx. 20.000 Euro (approx. US$26,000 at that time) for the organization. The costs for the MTBC were not disclosed but should be the same as for the FIQ.

What are the odds that PS Nathan has to resign from MTBC presidency? Until recently most specialists would have said slim to none. But now Nathan has maneuvered himself into a situation where the Malaysian Sports Ministry has no other choice than to take action.

Stay tuned.