Badminton brings out the Malaysian in us

The Star: Tuesday August 31, 2010

Esprit de corps

By MICHAEL CHEANG
cschuin@thestar.com.my

Badminton brings out the Malaysian in us.

WHERE were you when we last won the Thomas Cup?

Most Malaysians old enough to remember that famous win will be able to tell you exactly where they were when Cheah Soon Kit and Soo Beng Kiang clinched that final point against their Indonesian opponents at exactly 12.36am on May 17, 1992.

On that historic day, it didn’t matter who was playing – whether it was Rashid Sidek, Foo Kok Keong or Cheah Soon Kit – Malaysians got behind the team that day, and every single one of us felt the exhilaration of winning the most prestigious prize in badminton.

And that spirit of unity isn’t confined to just that moment in time. Even today, Malaysians still turn up in droves at the stadium with our kompangs and drums to support the national team, regardless of who is playing.

There’s just something about badminton that flows through our Malaysian veins. It is a sport that transcends race, religion, age and gender, one that anyone and almost everyone can play. We’ve played the game with our neighbours across the front gate of their house. We’ve got more badminton halls than football fields. Whether you play the game or not, chances are if you are Malaysian, you will have at least one memory of a flying shuttlecock.

Smashing success

Home support: Malaysians turned up in full force for the semi-final between Lee Chong Wei (left) and China’s Lin Dan in this year’s Thomas Cup at Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

Historically, Malaysia has always competed at the very top of the game. After all, we did win the inaugural Thomas Cup way back in 1949, and successfully defended the title until 1958 when Indonesia emerged as a badminton powerhouse. Even then, our players are still among the world’s best.

But just what is it about badminton that brings Malaysians together so? Perhaps the best people to answer this question are the ones who brought us together in the first place – the players themselves.

According to Datuk Eddy Choong, arguably our greatest player ever, Malaysians’ love affair with badminton goes back all the way to post-World War II times.

Cheerleading squad: Fans showing their support for the national badminton team.

“Back then, badminton was the cheapest sport we could play, because we could play it outdoors. We didn’t even need a proper court – just a sheet of cloth for the net, and shuttles!” he recalled. “It was more convenient than playing tennis or football. I remember in Penang, there would be over 100 badminton courts along a single street!”

Choong, who won the All England Open men’s singles title four times between 1953 and 1957 and was part of the 1955 Malayan Thomas Cup-winning team, said that as a result, Malaysia has always been strong in badminton. “Even before we won the first ever Thomas Cup in 1949, we already had a reputation for being very good at badminton. Top players from other countries would come to Malaysia and be soundly beaten,” he said.

No.1 sport: Badminton fans come from all walks of life and will gather anywhere to watch the game together.

Malaysia has always enjoyed consistent success in the world badminton arena. Choong and other players such as Tan Aik Huang, Ng Boon Bee, and Ooi Teck Hock have racked up All England and Thomas Cup wins by the dozen in the past, while the 80s were memorable for the rise of the legendary Sidek brothers. Even today, despite China’s dominance, Malaysia still has quite a formidable roster of players, led by world No.1 Lee Chong Wei, who won the All England singles this year.

Datuk Punch Gunalan reckons that it is this success through the years that has ensured Malaysians’ constant support in the sport.

A former high-ranking official in the Malaysian Badminton Association (BAM) who also held positions in the International Badminton Federation (now Badminton World Federation), Punch was no pushover during his playing days either. He won the All England doubles title with Ng Boon Bee in 1971, finished runner-up to Rudy Hartono in the 1974 All England singles final, and was team manager of the 1992 Thomas Cup winning team.

According to him, Malaysians love watching badminton because it is one of the few sports that have produced world champions for the country.

“Malaysians love to watch only the best (in a sport), and badminton is one of the only sports where we are actually of world-class standard. It is one of the only sports we know we can win!” he said.

Drop shots

Unfortunately, as in all sports, support for the team tends to wane whenever the players don’t win. However, for every fair-weather fan who jeered when Lee Chong Wei crumbled to Lin Dan in the 2008 Olympic final, there are hundreds more who applauded him for giving his all, despite facing a vastly superior opponent – such is the support and passion Malaysians have for the sport.

According to Punch, the passion for badminton here is much greater than in any other country he has ever visited.

“Badminton really brings everybody together in Malaysia. It is a relatively easy game to learn and play, and many of us have been playing since we were young,” he said.

In droves: The crowd who came to Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil to watch the Thomas Cup semi-final between Malaysia and China. Badminton is a sport that transcends race, religion, age and gender, one that anyone and almost everyone can play.

Former national singles player Misbun Sidek concurred, adding that badminton also benefits from good support from all sectors here – from the sponsors, the Government, and also the fans. “I don’t think there is any other country that loves the game as much as we do. Many parents encourage their children to take up badminton because they see the potential to go far in the sport.”

No article on Malaysian badminton can be complete without mentioning the Sidek family, which produced national singles players Misbun, Rashid and Rahman, as well as one of our greatest doubles pairs ever, Razif and Jailani.

Misbun, who now coaches Lee Chong Wei, reckons that Malaysia’s long history of success has helped cement badminton as Malaysia’s favourite sport.

“To me, badminton really is the No.1 sport in Malaysia. We are among the top-ranked countries in the world, and we have produced so many legends in the past as well.

“It is also the only sport that has produced medals in the Olympic Games,” he said.

Choong warned though, that while Malaysian badminton has been relatively successful so far, certain unsavoury elements could upset the shuttlecock cart.

“There should not be any politics and favouritism in badminton, or sports in general,” he said. “Administrators should not interfere with the coaches’ decisions, and there should be no favouritism when selecting players as well. If you allow that to happen, the sport is never going to improve. Right now, they have the support of the people, but will they still get it if they start losing?”

Misbun concurred, adding that equal opportunities should be given to everyone to participate. “I am grateful for what badminton has given me, and also proud to have been able to contribute to my country, both as a player and coach,” he said. “Even today, as a coach, I try to train anyone who is interested. Everyone should be given a chance to succeed and make the country proud.”

Moment of triumph

Back to the 1992 Thomas Cup final. I remember being 15 years old, reduced to watching the match on a tiny television set in a hostel in the middle of rural Pahang while attending a centralised sports training stint. I still remember vividly the exact layout of the living room, the colour of the sofa, and the number of people in the room.

Even in that little room, the atmosphere was electric, amplified by the loud roars emanating from the television set as the fans in the stadium cheered every shot the Malaysians made.

I remember the hope we felt when Rashid Sidek clinched victory in the first singles over Ardy Wiranata. I remember the despair when Razif and Jailani lost the first doubles to Rudy Gunawan and Eddy Hartono in rubber sets. I remember Foo Kok Keong’s never-say-die spirit – hurling himself all over the court to return Alan Budi Kusuma’s every shot and thrashing the Indonesian in straight sets.

And finally, there was the second, nail-biting doubles between Cheah Soon Kit/Soo Beng Kiang and Rexy Manaiky/Ricky Subagja, which ended with that final smash from Soo that won the title for Malaysia.

(And let’s not forget Kwan Yoke Meng, who was reduced to playing a dead rubber, but played his part in the famous victory nonetheless.)

It may not have been our first Thomas Cup victory, but it was definitely the sweetest, coming 25 years after our last win.

Even today, reliving the entire sequence of matches on YouTube still brings a tear to my eye. And the moment when the entire stadium was singing the national anthem as our flag was raised still sends a shiver down my spine. That glorious win marked one of the greatest moments in Malaysian sporting history, and above all, remains a moment when we were all cheering as one proud, united country.

What Malaysian badminton fans say....

Badminton really brings everybody together in Malaysia.

— Datuk Punch Gunalan

I remember watching the 1992 Thomas Cup final with my family at home, and after we had won, the feeling of pride was unbelievable. But it’s been frustrating that we could not sustain our standard after that. But nonetheless, I always tell my children that they have to support Malaysia, no matter what!

— Mazlan Abdul Rahman, 45, taxi driver

In Malaysia everyone plays badminton! Although the competition is more stiff now, the main thing is we are still top three in the world. But I feel there is a lot more we can do to improve our standard. We need to get the politics out of the sport, so that everyone gets an equal chance.

— Lesley V. Edison, business manager

Although Malaysian fans are supportive of the players, I hope they will continue to cheer the team on, even if we are losing.

— See Phui Leng, 26, civil servant, former national team player, part-time badminton coach

I’m not a badminton fan, but whenever badminton season comes around, such as during the Thomas Cup, everyone would be talking about it and I will also get caught up in it! Our badminton players make us proud. It doesn’t matter whether we are winning or losing, orang Malaysia mesti support Malaysia!

— Fahruddin Najumudeen, 27, assistant operations manager

Badminton has been our ‘national game’ since a long time ago. Badminton has so many good players from all the races. When it comes to the game we should not be talking about race – it should be all about the Malaysian national team!

— Seah Ah Buan, 52, businessman

Badminton gives Malaysians an avenue where everyone can support the team regardless of race or religion.

— Francis Ng, 43, lawyer

1992 ... those were the good old days.

— Intan Nahariah, 33, executive

END OF ARTICLES.

SOURCE:

1) http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/8/31/nation/6904687&sec=nation

2) http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/8/31/nation/6904689&sec=nation

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