A winner on two fronts

2009/11/05

Ajitpal Singh

WHILE most guys at the age of 37 are still trying to find their footing in life, Paul Poh has done it all both in sport and the corporate world.

Paul was one of the most talented junior tennis players in the country before he left for Melbourne. Among his achievements were representing Malaysia in junior events and helping Penang win two gold medals in the 1992 Malaysia Games.

He also played club-level tennis in Melbourne.

In the corporate world, Paul is now the managing director of GuocoLand (Malaysia) Berhad and director/Head-Group Investments for HL Management.

"I began playing tennis when I was seven, and represented Penang at 14. When I left to study in Australia at 16, I would play for Penang in tournaments when I came home for holidays," said Paul in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

"My dad wanted me to study as in those days the perception was that there was no future in tennis."

PAUL POH

Paul hung up his racquet for a few years before deciding to play socially last year and went on to make an impression in last year's CEO & Celebrity Charity tennis competition by bagging the inaugural event.

"I won all my matches last year. I was lucky as all my partners were good," he said.

Paul will return to compete in the second edition of the competition on Dec 13.

"I am not thinking about the title. I just want to have fun and try to play my best tennis. Everyone will say that they will be out there to have fun but in actual fact most of them will take it seriously when on court," said Paul, who said he was currently in good shape, having won two titles this year.

"I won the Universiti Malaya Inter-Team event and also the National Ambank-Wilson doubles title. I will also be competing in the Dr Poh Soon Sim Cup Inter-team event," he added.

The CEO & Celebrity Charity Tennis event, jointly organised by NSTP and Bursa Malaysia, will be held at the National Tennis Centre in Kuala Lumpur in conjunction with the ECM Libra Foundation and Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia Junior Tennis Championships (Dec 14-21).