POLO, a highbrow sport steeped in history, has long amassed royal players the likes of the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William and his brother Prince Harry, as well as loyal fans such as our very own Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. And as Datuk Chevy Beh, founder of Asian Healthcare and Bookdoc aptly puts it: “The world of polo is very interesting as you get the chance to meet the top of the top people whom you’d probably not be able to under normal circumstances.
They could be top businessmen, politicians, lawyers, bankers, big entrepreneurs and so on.”
Suffice to say, Chevy is passionate about this elite sport.
BURGEONING LOVE
With the sun shining brightly onthis very hot morning, Chevy shares his passion for this game of princes over a glass of ice blended juice.
Looking earnest, he tells of how a game that may look like men horsing around on the field with a stick and a tiny ball can actually be the best platform for expanding a burgeoning business, or even the education one needs to fulfil life goals and prepare for challenges ahead.
Born in 1985 and raised in the small town of Ipoh, Perak, Chevy has, over the years, turned his filial obligations to his father into a personal passion. “I was 7 when I started accompanying my father whenever he flew to Argentina every year to either play with him or watch him play,” recalls Chevy. “I’d be his ardent supporter or companion on the bench.
What started as an obligation has turned into a hobby, which I thoroughly enjoy today.”
It wasn’t surprising that Chevy started riding his very own stallion not long after. Naturally, as the years went by, he found himself looking for schools with top-notch polo facilities, the first being Wellington College in Berkshire, UK. While pursuing his A-Levels at Wellington College, he also took the opportunity to hone his polo skills. After graduating,he flew westto the University of Virginia in the US, in part, due to his love for Americanculture, and the other, as the university was reputed to have the best polo facilities in America.
In the three years he took to complete his degree,he enjoyed another milestone.
The driven chap not only graduated a year earlier with a double major in Economics and East Asian Studies, he also became the first Asian to achieve an American all-star status in polo. “I tried my best to prove people wrong as many believe that when you’rebooksmart, chances are you’d not be good in sports. Well, that’s not quite true because you can excel in both if you try your best,” says Chevy, with conviction.
ALL ABOUT TEAMWORK
Looking deeper at the game itself, you’ll realise that polo is a game of real teamwork. It’s definitely not a solo sport.
“It isn’t just a simple game of one player and one horse, but one player and multiple horses,” he says. A polo team is made up of four players witheach player requiring a minimum of six horses per game. It’s also a game that requires a tight knit team of players who need to work cohesively to win. It’s an intricate yet beautiful art between man and beast.
It’s also a big commitment, adds Chevy, referring to the horses that are under one’s charge. “A game of polo isn’t like golf or skiing where you can just put your stuff in the store room after a game. You can’t put your horses in a store room. You have to feed and shower them,” he explains, before adding: “Horses aren’t like cars or motorcycles where you turn on and there are indicators for you to manipulate and check. Horses can’t speak too, so, you’ll need to train them, especially if you’re playing competitively.”
He further warns: “You need to keep them fit so they won’t get injured or worst, try to throw you off because they aren’t feeling their best. It could be very dangerous if the horses aren’t properly taken care of.”
GLOBAL PASSPORT
Having the privilege of a personal stable, the Beh family owns more than 30 horses to date. “I personally have about six horses and they’re all from Argentina,” shares Chevy, before affectionately reciting their names: “There is Leica, Martina, Toda, Beba, and Astor.”
Although the family has a capable team to manage all the horses and the stable,Chevy is no stranger to taking care of his own stallions. It’s not unusual to see him enjoying a quick ride with any of his horses from time to time on the weekends as well, as his family and friends love to have a simple game of polo together. On whether he still competes occasionally, he answers: “Yes, I do play occasionally at a professional level but I don’t compete.”
TRUE CHARACTERS ON THE FIELD
What really attracts him to the game, I ask. His answer is swift. “Out on the field,you see people’s true characters coming out. There’s nothing to hide and everyone isn’t being all diplomatic about things. Everyone’s just out to win and there’s no such thing as being ‘mister nice guy’.”
Chevy also likens the sport to running a business, saying: “Polo is a multifaceted challenging game, and if you can handle that, running a business wouldn’t be far different.”
Through polo, Chevy confides that he has been able to see all parts of the globe and shake hands with so many interesting people, who include, His Royal Highness Prince Jeffri of Brunei.
Polo to him has become a “passport to diplomacy”, says Chevy, quotingWinston Churchill. Loving such a sport, he adds, has also allowed him to view the world in a different light. “I get to see how people live in different parts of the world.”
His eyes lighting up, Chevy sums up his attraction for the sport: “It’s the excitement and adrenaline that I get when I’m playing that keeps me at it. I’m hooked — and in a good way.”
FROM SPORTS TO BUSINESS
Just like his passion for polo, Chevy is also passionate about the healthcare system.
He says: “Healthcare is a basic human right that everyone should have access to, not only in terms of its availability, but also the quality of care where it should be equal for everyone.” This shouldn’t come as a surprise as he grew up in a household that owns one of Malaysia’s top health care systems, BPHealthcareGroup.
Prior to founding Asian Healthcare and the Bookdoc app, he was the managing director of BP Healthcare Group.
However, in October 2014, this dynamic entrepreneur decided to startsomething of his own by founding Asian Healthcare.
This new venture sees a team of healthcare experts teaming up with various industry greats with the hope of expanding and upgrading thehealthcare systems in Malaysia and beyond.
Asian Healthcare is the typical brick and mortar business where the team scouts for smaller hospitals around Malaysia, buys them over and upgrades them into a tertiary care unit befitting a small town population.
Adding on to this new venture of his is the founding of a new healthcare application called Bookdoc, launched last October. This project sees him teaming up with Joel Neoh, founder of Groupon Malaysia, as co-founder to this futuristic step in healthcare. This new application, freely available on Android and iOS systems in Malaysia, Singapore andHong Kong, links users to an assortment of healthcare information. “Look at it as the Alibaba or Amazon of healthcare where you can attain anything and everything that you need in medicine,” explains Chevy. This platform doesn’t only point you to the nearest healthcare centre, it will also allow you to book medical appointments with specific doctors. One day, you might even be able to purchase your prescription through it.”
Says Chevy in conclusion: “I see two things in this world — people who exist in the world just to exist or to live. Some people are simply just happy with what they’re doing. But personally, I believe I’m here in this world to do something that’s hopefully beneficial.
“I want to leave behind a legacy — a good and positive one. And I think healthcare is one of the better ways to reach out and make a difference formankind.”