Sports legends and rivals reunite at gala
The Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, with members of Malaysia's 1975 hockey World Cup team and India's Ashok Kumar (second from left) at the Sports Flame gala in Kuala Lumpur.
KUALA LUMPUR : More than 70 former national athletes gathered at the Sports Flame gala today to recount their thrilling contests, including Malaysia's fourth placing at the 1975 hockey World Cup.
The Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, was the guest-of-honour at the event, which also marked the 50th anniversary of the hockey team's achievement.
Among those at the gala were members of the 1975 hockey squad, the women's hockey team at the 1982 Asian Games, badminton legends Tan Aik Huang and Yew Cheng Hoe, and football icon Santokh Singh.
A member of the Indian hockey team who won the tournament Ashok Kumar was also present, and he recounted how the Malaysians gave them a run for their money.
'Malaysia gave us a good fight and almost got us kicked out of the game,' said Ashok.
The Sports Flame gala, a biennial event held since 2011, is the brainchild of former sports journalists George Das, the late R Velu, Lazarus Rokk and Fauzi Omar.
Rokk took the chance today to reminisce about the 1975 tournament and lauded the players who took Malaysian hockey to unprecedented and unsurpassed heights.
He also paid tribute to Velu, the late RD Silva, and James Ritchie, who died on May 3. Al-Sultan Abdullah also presented a commemorative plaque to Velu's son, Aaron Christopher.
Keeping ties alive
N Sri Shanmuganathan, captain of the 1975 hockey team, hailed Sports Flame's dedication to honouring the nation's retired athletes.
'We have our teammates coming down from London and Perth. We do meet with (those living in Malaysia) as often as we can, but meeting those from overseas is another thing altogether,' he said.
K Maheswari, vice-captain of the women's hockey team that won the bronze medal at the 1982 Asian Games, said the event served as a platform for former athletes of various sports to meet and network with one another.
'This time we got to meet other athletes as well, like the great Santokh Singh. We only had the chance to admire them in front of the TV because they were seniors, but now we get to meet them in person. It's such an honour,' she added.
Badminton great Yew, who was in Malaysia's winning 1967 Thomas Cup team, hoped that Sport Flame's founders would keep the flame alive in honouring former athletes and organise more such events.
'They are the only ones who remember all the ex-players. Nobody has done this for us and we truly appreciate what they are doing. This is the only chance we get to meet all the former sportsmen,' he said, thanking Sports Flame for bringing them together.
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