Sayumin eyes a gold medal this time

JAKARTA (JP): Sayumin Teng has won silver medals at each of the past four SEA Games; he has the right to be a little jaded with the color.

"No more silver. This year I have to earn the gold. I'll be ashamed if I go home with another silver," said the snooker player.

Sayumin, who was born in Jambi on Nov. 22, 1967, has competed in the biennial event since the Manila Games in 1991. He played nine ball before switching to snooker, but the top spot has so far eluded him.

He will likely meet Kwan Poomjang and Paitoon Phonboon in Brunei Darussalam.

Sayumin developed an interest in the game while studying economics at Trisakti University.

"My friends and I used to hang around in pool halls back in 1989. There was a student championship and luckily I won it. We still played on the seven feet tables. In 1990, I switched to playing the nine feet tables.

"After that, I competed in the national championships in 1990 and I won it. Since then, I've always been called up for national training for the SEA Games," he said last week.

Commenting on the switch from nine ball to snooker, Sayumin said: "If I play pool, I can't stand the environment. Pool players usually smoke and drink, while I don't. I think playing snooker is much healthier, because we play in an air-conditioned room."

Sayumin had an uphill task convincing his parents that not all billiard and snooker players were disreputable.

"They had the wrong impression at first, because they equated pool halls in the city with cigarettes, alcohol and gambling. But since I won at the SEA Games -- although they were only silver medals -- they have begun to support me."

Sayumin complimented the new chairman of the Indonesian Billiards and Snooker Association (POBSI), Putera Astaman, who is urging private station RCTI to air snooker competitions.

"So far only TVRI broadcasts the national snooker master competition," he said. "If another TV station can air the competition, there will be many advertisements. It will be a good start for developing billiards and snooker in the country."

Sayumin said he had difficulty holding down a job due to the long-term training commitment necessary for the Games.

"I used to work for Astra before I graduated from school. But after I joined the training program, I resigned. I felt bad having to skip work for months, even though my boss gave me permission."

In 1997 Sayumin opened a pool hall with some friends, but he had to close down the business because his place was used for training.

"Although POBSI and the National Sports Council (KONI) paid for the training, it was not enough to cover maintenance and operation fees."

But Sayumin still retains a dream of running his own business. Once the SEA Games are over, the 31-year-old bachelor plans to open a pool hall in Denpasar.(yan)