Champions forever: Malaysia’s 13 Olympic medallists
PETALING JAYA: Malaysians have always been proud of their strong sporting heritage and with the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympics in full swing, it’s great to see many getting behind the nation’s athletes in Japan at the moment.
While these thoroughbreds seek to make Malaysia proud once more, one can’t help but recall Malaysia’s proud line of Olympians who have brought home, in total, 11 Olympic medals (and counting!).
From the high-flying Sidek brothers of the 1990s, to the Pocket Rocketman that is Azizulhasni Awang, here is a list of the Malaysian athletes who have made the nation proud time and time again.
The Sidek brothers
Anyone with even the slightest interest in badminton would definitely have heard of the legendary Sidek brothers, namely Misbun, Razif, Jalani, Rahman and Rashid.
The quintet were inspired to participate in badminton by their badminton coach father, the late Sidek Abdullah Kamar.
Of the three, Razif, Jalani and Rashid have won Olympic medals, with Razif and Jalani winning the men’s doubles bronze at the 1992 Barcelona Games and the Rashid winning the men’s singles bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Older Malaysians might be well aware of the uproar that arose over the brothers’ signature Sidek-serve or S-serve, a serve so tricky to return, it was later banned by the International Badminton Federation.
Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock
Also present at the 1996 Atlanta Games were shuttlers Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock who managed to bag the silver medal for the men’s doubles.
Famous for his impressive jumping smash, Cheah was considered to be among Malaysia’s best badminton doubles players at the time, while Yap had established himself in the scene in 1989.
Paired together for the 1996 games, they managed to win a decisive first round before their Indonesian opponents made an impressive comeback, eventually leaving them with the silver.
Lee Chong Wei
A name that needs no introduction, Lee Chong Wei has made Malaysia proud on so many occasions, that it’s tough to list them all out.
What’s more, being the world number one badminton player for over a year is hardly an achievement to scoff at, and more so his three medals won at the Olympics.
Winning his first silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Lee would participate in the subsequent games at London and Rio, winning silver at both.
Lee retired from the scene as of 2019, following a nose cancer diagnosis, with tributes pouring in from across the world afterwards.
Pandelela Rinong Pamg and Cheong Jun Hoong
First making her international debut at the 2007 Asian Junior Aquatics Championships, Pandelela has since gone on to become a diving icon in Malaysia.
Her first Olympic medal was won back in 2012, when the then 15-year-old emerged from the pool in London with the bronze medal in hand.
Cheong Jun Hoong had been partnered with Pandelela since 2007, competing in the 2012 games together with Pandelela as well.
The duo finally clinched the coveted Olympic silver at the 2016 Rio Games, being the first Malaysian women’s team to walk away from the Olympics with silver.
Goh Wei Shem and Tan Wee Kiong
Partners since the 2014 Thomas Cup, Goh and Tan proved their compatible skills by returning home from the 2014 Commonwealth Games with gold in hand.
Tan would often be positioned closer to the front, while Goh would be placed at the rear from where he would await an opportunity to deliver a steep smash at the opponent.
Their on-court chemistry along with subsequent success at the Asian Games that same year guaranteed them a place at the 2014 Rio Olympics.
After a fiercely contested third match, which saw the Malaysian team losing to China by two points, Goh and Tan returned from the 2016 Olympics with both their heads and silver medals raised high.
Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying
Being consistently ranked among the top-ten mixed doubles pairs in the world, the careers of Chan and Goh are ones to be watched.
The duo first paired together at the 2009 Vietnam Open, winning a silver before going on to win the following year’s Badminton Asia Championships.
The pair made history at the 2012 games in London when they became the first-ever Malaysian mixed doubles to qualify for the Olympics.
After being separated for some time due to Goh’s medical surgery, the pair qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, coming second behind the victorious Indonesian pair.
Azizulhasni Awang
Dubbed “The Pocket Rocketman” due to his stature, Azizulhasni caught many Malaysians by surprise when the track cyclist brought home a medal from the 2016 Rio Games.
Born and raised in Terengganu, he first took up cycling when he was 10, happy to ride the bicycle his father had gifted him for his UPSR results.
The late cycling coach, Rozimi Omar, was convinced that the youngster had humongous potential hidden inside his diminutive stature.
The Pocket Rocketman has since gone on to prove his supporters right, winning gold at the 2017 UCI Track Cycling World Championships after returning home from Rio with a bronze medal in hand. - FMT
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