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Me And My Whistle

By
G.Vijayanathan: Hockey had always been my number one sport but after playing the game for a continuous period of 32 years for the Tamilians’ Physical Culture Association (T.P.C.A.), that I realised I wasn’t going to get anywhere, and decided to take up umpiring.
My initial registration as an umpire was as a Grade Three umpire with the Malaysian Hockey Federation (M.H.F.) Umpire’s Board on March 15, 1964. My first major tournament was the Government Services Hockey Competition which was held in Kuala Lumpur from July 17 -19, 1964. Although it was my first major tournament, I had the distinction of umpiring the final alongside S. Kathiravale.
My rise in international umpiring:
I had the opportunity to umpire at the International Hockey Tournament in Ahmedabad in 1962 where I had accompanied the Malaysian team as the Secretary. They were short of umpires. Unfortunately, our manager Dr. Aziz Durairatnam did not give his approval. He was not happy with the way Mr. P. Nagarvallah (Chief Organiser of the Tournament) treated the Malaysian team.
All the umpires who officiated at the tournament were confirmed as F.I.H. Class one International umpires by Mr. Rene Frank, the President of F.I.H. who was present at the tournament. What a great honour it would have been for me and Malaya (then)
The Asian Games, Bangkok, 1966:
Due to the uncertainty of Malaysia’s participation and the insistency of the host that only international class One umpires would be invited to officiate, the umpires’ board could not bid to send an umpire with the national team.
However, during the M.H.F. executive meeting the matter was brought up and the president (Tun Abdul Razak) suggested that as I was accompanying the Malaysian contingent as assistant manager, I should be appointed as the Malaysian official umpire to take my chances there. As luck would have it, the organisers were short of the required number and I had the opportunity of umpiring some matches, thanks to the foresight of our former Prime Minister and President of MHF, Tun Abdul Razak
1970 Asian Games, Bangkok, Thailand:
Lee Cheng Poh and I officiated at the Games. Although it was the first time I was to officiate at the Asian Games as an International Class One umpire, I had the honour and privilege of umpiring the final between India and Pakistan together with Ramalingam of Singapore.
The normal time finished with an exhibition of club standard hockey and the game went into extra time. There was no score in the first half of extra time. In the second period of extra time, India was awarded a short corner and there was a strong feeling that India’s chance had come. However, the hit-out was penalised for sticks and soon after Rashid scored the winning goal for Pakistan.
Jimmy Nagarwala, a top Indian hockey official paid glowing tribute to my umpiring in the final when he said, “In my 20 years of watching Pakistan and India play, I have not seen such a well contested, clean game.”
Revised List of Grade One International Umpires:
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) revised the list of Grade One International umpires at their meeting in Brussels in March 1971. Only Grade One umpires were permitted to officiate at the Olympic Games and those for Munich were selected at the FIH meeting held in October. Besides Pakistan which had 13, the other Asian countries like India had eight, Japan (4), Korea (1), Singapore (1) and I was the sole Malaysian Grade One Umpire.

Munich Olympic Games – (August 27 to September 9, 1972
I was appointed by the F.I.H. to officiate as an umpire at the Munich Olympic Games. Twenty-eight umpires were selected for the tournament. The Asian umpires came from Pakistan (3), India (3), Korea (l), Singapore (l), Japan (1) and I represented Malaysia.
A bitter experience: – On September 8, 1972, I umpired the semi-final between West Germany and Netherlands. West Germany beat Netherlands 3 – 0 to qualify for the final against Pakistan who beat India 2 – 0 in the second semi-final. At least 15,000 spectators witnessed the semi-finals, 11,000 in the stadium and another 4,000 on hills nearby.
At the end of the day, the technical officials for the final between Pakistan and Germany were announced. I was thrilled to be nominated as one of the umpires together with Servetto Horacio from Argentina. Unfortunately, my elation was short-lived.
German officials had approached F.I.H. President, Rene Frank and asked him to replace me. They claimed that I was an Asian and therefore should not umpire as an Asian team was involved. I was summoned by the President who told me about the objection and diplomatically withdrew my name from the list. In my place, he appointed Richard Jewell of Australia.
“Sometimes it still feels unreal that within a couple of months, I am an Olympian and umpiring at the Olympic Games.
“The feelings of excitement for the Olympic experience are just as real to the officials as they are to the athletes participating, in the games. It’s an opportunity of a life time that doesn’t come around very often.”
NEW STRAITS TIMES (November 28, 1972.

VIJI No: 1 in the World
High praise for Malaysian umpire.

G. VIJAYANATHAN of Malaysia is rated No: 1 hockey
umpire in the world. World Hockey, the official magazine of the International Hockey Federation, commenting on the umpiring at the Olympic Games in Munich, says: “The man generally recognised to be the best umpire was the young Malaysian, Vijayanathan.
“High praise indeed, considering that there were 29 international Grade One umpires from all over the world in the Olympic pool”.
2nd World Cup Amsterdam (August 24 to September 2, 1973)
The second World Cup was staged in the Amsterdam suburb of Amstelveen. I umpired the semi-final between Netherlands and Germany on August 31. What a coincidence it was with Malaysia celebrating Merdeka.
The match went to five periods of extra-time without either being able to score. For the first time in the crucial stages of a major competition, a penalty stroke competition was necessary. Holland won the penalty stroke competition 4 – 2 and qualified to meet India who downed Pakistan 1 – 0 in the second semi-final to avenge its defeat at the hands of the Pakistanis in the 1971 semi-finals. It was undoubtedly a memorable game and the cheers at the end could be described as a “lions roar.”
It was a pleasant surprise when I was told that the President (Rene Frank) had decided that the best umpires must officiate regardless of whether they were from Asia or Europe. That was how I got to be appointed to umpire the final together with Horacio.
It was a superb final with a wonderful and knowledgeable Dutch crowd. I had only one problem with the Dutchman Paul Litjens, known as one of the world’s best full backs. He had the habit of passing remarks at practically most of the decisions given against the Dutch even if it was on the opposite side of the field. After a severe warning, there was never a murmur from him after that.
However, India lost on penalty strokes and the Netherlands became hockey’s new World Champions. also rose to number one in the world rankings followed by India, Pakistan and West Germany.
As both Horatio and I walked back from across the field towards the main stadium after signing the match sheet, the entire crowd gave us a ‘standing ovation’ which I had never experienced before. It only went to prove how much the crowd enjoyed the game and appreciated our umpiring.
The 3rd World Cup, Kuala Lumpur(March 1 – 15, 1975)
Apart from being the organising secretary of the prestigious World Cup Hockey Tournament, I was included in the panel of umpires. There were 20 umpires in the panel and the other Malaysian umpire was none other than S. Kathiravale.
Great Honour: It was indeed a great honour for me to have been selected to umpire the final between India and Pakistan – two Asian giants on home ground in front of an estimated 50,000 spectators.
Much has been said and spoken until this day about the winning goal scored by Ashok Kumar of India. The Indians shrugged off a one-goal deficit at half time, turning on a dazzling attack particularly after Samiullah left the field (having hurt his collar bone) and finally won the game 2 – 1.
Islahuddin (captain of Pakistan team) has released a book – “DASH” written by him. In his book under a chapter “A Goal That Wasn’t”, he claims that the umpire had wrongly awarded the goal. Furthermore, Islahuddin has claimed he was the closest to the action and saw exactly what had happened.
In pictures of Ashok Kumar’s goal, one can clearly see nine players and myself, but Islahuddin is nowhere to be seen. Yet, he continues to make a false claim that he was closest to the action. Photographs and Videos do not lie.
Immediately after the match, a member of our organising committee, C. Thavanayagam saw a Pakistani official trying to hit down the pegs which were used to stop the goal boards (at the back of the goal posts) from moving. In actual fact the ball hit one of the pegs inside the goal and rebounded and did not hit the front upright as claimed by Islahuddin.

Moaning about Umpires;
I am sure every team and player around the world can relate to this point, A lot of players struggle with umpiring, but we often forget that the umpires’ decision is not something that one can control. Sometimes players blame umpires for one mistake which determine the game and players forget that they probably made several mistakes in the game which could have changed the game. Frustration with umpires is a mental battle and was something I had to learn how to control before I could reach higher levels in my own hockey career.
21st Olympics: Montreal, Canada, 1 976:
Raja Azlan Shah on returning from one of his overseas tours after attending an FIH meeting told me that I was selected to officiate at the Montreal Olympics. I umpired the semi-final between New Zealand and Netherlands which New Zealand won 2 – 1 and qualified to play Australia who had beaten Pakistan 2 – 1 in the other semi-final. Under the circumstances, I was hoping to get the opportunity to umpire the finals as no Asian country was involved.My dream and aspirations were shattered when A.I.S. Dara (who had a great influence with F.I.H.) insisted that the match between Pakistan and Netherlands for bronze medal must have an Asian umpire. He would have nobody else but me. The stadium was crammed to capacity for this match and Pakistan beat Netherlands 3 – 2 being tied 1 – 1 at half time.

1st Inter-Continental Cup – Rome.(September 22 to October 2 1977
The Inter-Continental Cup was staged for the first time in Rome marking an important land mark in the history of F. I. H.This tournament gave me the opportunity to officiate with some junior umpires who were officiating in a major tournament for the first time. All-in-all, I enjoyed my umpiring at the Inter-Continental Games, Rome
4th World Cup, Buenos Aires(March 18 to April 2, l978)
A total of 19 umpires were selected for this tournament. Only three umpires were from Asia – one each from India, Pakistan and Malaysia. At this World Cup, I umpired one of the semi-finals between Australia and the Netherland, which the later won 3 – 2.
Horatio Servetto (Argentina) was given the honour of umpiring the final in front of a home crowd together with Gillet of France.
The Champions Trophy – Super World Cup, Lahore, Pakistan(November 17 – 24, 1978)
The Pakistan Hockey Federation, aided by generous support from Pakistan International Airline (PIA) took responsibility for staging the first tournament in Lahore.
The final match: The final match would determine the first holder of the Champions Trophy. A draw would give Pakistan the title while Australia had to win. I had the honour of umpiring this game. Nearly 20,000 people watched this game, including President General Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq and several of the countries top personalities. The weather was splendid, and the match was telecast throughout the country. Pakistan beat Australia 2 – 1.
Honoured by the President of Pakistan – Gen. Zia-ul-Haq, 1979.
During the prize giving ceremony, General Zia-ul-Haq shook hands with me andcongratulated me and said, “You had umpired magnificently and I shall send you my personal present.”
That night, the President sent a carpet to my hotel and I took it as the personal gift that he had mentioned.
In March, 1979, the President sent through the Pakistan High Commissioner to Malaysia, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Rahim Khan a glittering gold medal with the emblem of the Pakistan Government. The gold medal also had the emblem of the Champions Trophy on one side and my name inscribed on the edge of the medal – which was the size of a fifty- cent coin.
Netherlands Hockey Association – 1979:
In 1979, the Netherlands Hockey Association organised a series of matches against Pakistan known as the “Peugeot Series.” Four World Class/Olympic umpires, namely Graham Nash (England), Santiago Deo (Spain), Alan Renaud (France) and I were selected and invited with the approval of F.I.H. We were housed in the best hotel, each occupying a single room. The Dutch hockey officials took us out every night to dine in some of the top restaurants.On a rough calculation considering the number of matches each umpire officiated, one minute my time umpiring would have cost about RM120/-. It certainly was an honour to have been selected to officiate.

Lopsided Selections

By
Franco De Cruz: There were parallels between the 1972 Munich Olympics and the 1975 World Cup teams. By that I mean, only the chosen 13 or 14 players in both teams played throughout the tournaments.
In the 1972 Munich squad, we had two goalkeepers, three fullbacks, four halfbacks, and nine forwards. We had an excess of forwards. Sadly, in spite of injuries to regular forwards, the reserves being four could not be called upon as replacements.
This was due to the structure and system of our play. I must say it was with disappointment that some of us had to struggle on, and continue playing in the competitions despite severe pain from injury.
In the Munich Games, we had achieved the best results in comparison to other Malaysian Olympics teams that had participated in past Games. But, if the selection process had been based on versatility of players, the results may have been better than they were.
At Munich, we were very close to qualifying for the semi-finals, and this was achieved in spite of playing with players carrying injuries. Can one imagine if we had the advantage of versatile replacements?


In the 1975 World Cup squad, we had two goalkeepers, three fullbacks, six halfbacks, and five forwards. During competition, the team was affected by injuries. We had three players off the field, and one being a forward, resulted in the coach having to improvise, and utilise one of the halfbacks as a replacement forward.
It was unfortunate that injuries did play a big part, mainly towards the later stages of the competition. The demands on the regular 13/14 players who were required to play constantly were physically too much. This was evident when we went to extra-time against India in the semi-finals and when we played in the third/fourth placing match against Germany.

My Love For Hockey

By
Franco De Cruz: My introduction to hockey began when I was seven years old. On my 7th
birthday, I was presented a miniature hockey stick. Wth this gift and on that very same evening I went off to play hockey in a little makeshift pitch with guys much older than I.
Not long after we started playing, someone stepped on my precious gift and broke it. With broken stick in hand, followed by a solicitous elder brother, I ran back home in tears.
My elder brother suggested to my mum that if he could cut off a branch of the guava (jambu) tree, an ‘L’ shaped branch of course, that would replace the broken stick. My mum insisted we wait for my dad to return home from work. When he did he cut off an ‘L’ shaped branch, and with this in hand I went off to play once again. What would we do without improvisation!

From this early introduction, my interest in the game grew and I went on to play hockey for the school team, the state combined schools team, clubs, the state of Negri Sembilan, Malaysian Police and, finally, the national team.

It is with pride I can say that I achieved my ultimate goal: wearing the national colours.
This was not achieved on my own. I was guided and groomed, in my opinion, by the very best of coaches. He is none other than Lawrence van Huizen. He had the ability to spot talent. He also had the knack of enhancing this talent and leveraging it to achieving the best. He instilled in me discipline, dedication, confidence, and most of all, humility. He was that one inspiration that made the player and person I am today. A ‘no nonsense’ guy.


I also like to pay tribute to all the other coaches and players who contributed to my game. The likes of the late Henry Sta Maria, M Joseph, Dato’ Yoges and Ho Koh Chye. Yoges told me after one training session: “Franco you have got tremendous skills, use it. Don’t allow bullying to put you off your game. Opposition players will do this, using rough tactics. Don’t ever lose your temper, but further annoy them as they can’t get the ball off you.” He made me think, I followed his advice, and it paid off.
Through hockey I learnt a great deal. Making loads of friends, travelling to various countries, and this greatly contributed to me being an understanding person. What experience I learnt through knowledge I acquired in the field of hockey I put this into practice in my professional life. It certainly made me the person I am today.

I immigrated to Sydney, Australia, in 1973, after playing for Malaysia in the World Cup held in Amsterdam. There I played club hockey for Moorbank Liverpool, and represented New South Wales at the national championships in 1974, held in Adelaide.

Toddy Goal Does It!

By
Thavanayagam: In 1961 I left Seremban, my hometown, for Kuala Lumpur after having secured a job with the Ministry of Health. As hockey was my first love I was very eager to continue playing the game.
I met a fine gentleman, Michael Lourdes, older brother of Olympian Michael Arulraj. He was then playing for and managing the Selangor Indian Association team which participated in the Division One League of the Selangor Hockey Association. I began playing for SIA from 1961.
We were not a team of stars but a determined and committed lot who sacrificed our Sundays mowing the grass pitch of SIA at Kampung Attap. We did fairly well and even upset kingpins Kilat Club that boasted the Shepherdson brothers–Mike, Christie and Dennis.
In 1963, I was watching an inter-state game when Dato Chet Singh, the then president of SHA, informed me that I had been selected to represent Selangor in the forthcoming Malaysia Day quadrangular to be played at the Mindef Stadium.
I was pleasantly surprised as the Selangor team was made up of virtually the Malaysian side, notably M. Shanmuganathan, Michael Arulraj, M. Doraisamy, A. Sabapathy and C. Paramalingam.
On Friday and Saturday, I played both matches beating Perak and the Armed Forces. After the game I went to the men’s toilet at the stadium where I met S. Selvarajah, brother of Olympian S. Balasingam, who was in the Selangor squad. Selva told me that I would probably be dropped for the final game against Singapore as the selectors wanted to field a more experienced player.


On Sunday morning, together with some friends from SIA, we went to Banting to attend the wedding of one of our players, Mokhtar Ahmad. After the wedding, someone suggested we taste some Banting toddy which was noted to be the best in Malaysia.
Convinced that I was not playing that evening I had a glass or two of the white liquid. I returned to Kuala Lumpur and had a rest before leaving for the Mindef Stadium at about 4pm on my trusted Raleigh bicycle.
On arrival at the stadium, I parked my bicycle and entered the stadium. There was M. Shanmuganathan or Big Shan as he was known, frantically waving a Selangor jersey and shouting at me to hurry-up. I ran up and he gave the jersey and asked me why I was late. I meekly told him I thought I was not playing.
Anyway I took the field and it was an exciting game. The Singapore XI were a formidable team comprising the likes of Anwarul Haq, Hon Yoon, Chong Beng, Kanagalingam, Kartar Singh and Douglas Nunis. At the interval the score was 1-1 and all the while I could hear the toddy shaking in my stomach! I was running all over the field and the toddy gave me a lot of extra energy.

In the dying moments of the second half, Selangor was awarded a long corner and M. Shan trapped the ball on top of the circle and slammed it towards goal. Anwarul Haq padded it. I came running in and scooped the ball to the roof of the net, thereby scoring the winning goal.

We emerged champions. I collected the gold medal and without a whimper got on to my bicycle and rode into the sunset. I dedicated the win to all toddy drinkers, young and old.

 

My Mentor, Freddy!

By
C.Paramalingam: If there was one person who was responsible for seeing my hockey career flourish, it is none other than Freddy Vias.
I had already appeared for Perak as a 19-year-old schoolboy in 1954. In late 1955 as a second year Technical College student on a field training course in Johor , I came in touch with Freddy and Aminullah Karim, both of whom represented Malaya in the Melbourne Olympic Games in 1956.
Freddy was a wealth of hockey knowledge and he imparted this to all who came in contact with him and I was one of them. As a youngster I thought I knew quite a bit about playing hockey until Freddy showed me a whole new world of how to play in an attacking position.
Hockey was just not all dribbling. How do you beat a six-foot defender like Freddy who also had the reach? And he was no timid defender. He was fierce and could put you out of action with just one strike.
He told me that almost all defenders are flat-footed and you should study them to see on which side to beat them on the run on. As a centre-forward he told me: ‘‘Don’t run blindly into them. Draw them towards you and deceive them with a feint.”
To frustrate the defender taking a free hit, he told me I should stand five yards in front of him. This will irritate him and he will intentionally undercut the ball which would be an offence and it will be a free hit to you.


He demonstrated to me the wrist shot, which you acquire as a cricketer and comes in very handy in front of the goalmouth. It’s an effortless motion but very effective.
There was the flat shot, punch shot, and the deflection shot. He showed me how to run from behind inside the opponents’ goal area and deflect the ball past the defence. The Indians and Pakistanis were very adept with this move.
The flick was another move I studied from him. It was to draw the goalkeeper out and on the run flick the ball into goal.
I just absorbed everything that Freddy showed me, the techniques, the positioning, running into space. What a teacher he was and a very unselfish one too.
In that single year I was in Johor, I had the greatest opportunity of being in the midst of this giant of a man. Every weekend I would follow him to play for Ceylon Sports Club in the Singapore League and utilised all that I had learnt from him.


After returning to Selangor, I was selected for Malaya for some “Test Series” against Singapore in 1957 and this was the stepping stone as I went on to wear national colours in the 1958 Tokyo Asian Games, the 1960 International Ahmedabad tournament in India, the 1961 Hong Kong International Tournament, the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games which climaxed with the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games.
My greatest glory was the Tokyo Olympics where I scored eight goals in nine matches and I dedicated this achievement to Freddy.
I shall always cherish and remember Freddy. He was not only a great athlete but also one of the best fullbacks I’ve played with and against. He was not only a class of his own, he was a man with a big and generous heart. It was all his training that gave me the privilege of playing for my country.

The Unkind Cut

By
Brian Sta Maria: My involvement in hockey started during my early schooling at St. Paul’s Institution, Seremban. From the beginning I was blessed with having the best coach anyone could ask for.

Lawrence van Huizen, a tough no-nonsense disciplinarian, took me under his wing and together with additional encouragement and support from people like William Fidelis, Franco de Cruz, Michael Yan, my eldest brother, the late Henry Sta Maria, and a host of other ex-internationals like the late Ho Koh Chye and R. Yogeswaran, I picked up the finer points of the game.
In my first year of centralised training for the 1970 Asian Games, the usual ragging was compulsory (nothing as bad as nowadays), but I was protected by M. Mahendran. During the army training camp, the courage building exercise required the players to jump off the 3-metre platform into the pool and only Sri Shan refused. You’ll have to ask him why?


During the early years of training, coach Lawrence would always pair me with Franco during the defence versus forward sessions. I hated it because Franco was so skilful he made me run in circles. Disheartened and out of curiosity, I asked Lawrence why he always paired me with Franco. His answer made me realise the significance of this training. He said: “If you can stop Franco, you will be able to stop anyone.” How right he was!
As a fullback I had to be good at taking and defending short corners. We all know the speed and accuracy of Sri Shan and A. Francis, my teammates during much of my international career.


At practice, when Sri Shan takes the hits, Francis covers the goalkeeper’s right post and I cover the left post. And what was Shan’s favourite angle? You guessed it – the left post.
Vice versa when Francis took the hits. I had to switch to cover the right post. And where did Francis send his power shots? The right post.

But when it was my turn to take the hits, the one person who shivered was S. Balasingam. No, not because of my power hits but somehow or rather, the ball tended to hit Bala on some part of his body. Bala, my apologies.
Because of my fear of getting injured during short corner sessions, I practised my short sprints until I was the fastest off the block and I suppose coach Ho Koh Chye agreed.

I had to be drugged to get into the national team. At my first call-up to the national centralised training in 1969/1970, I wore my hair long and was told to have a haircut which I was not going to do. My friends knowing that it would end my hockey career even before it had started, spiked my drink. The next thing I knew they had cut my hair themselves. To them, my thanks for believing in me.

 

Life with my papi, Ishtiaq Mobarak

By
Shaniz Mobarak: Growing up in a loving family, having the parents that I have and being brought up with a whole lot of love to go around, I would say it was filled with incredible adventures. Both Mummy and Daddy, who are our true blessings have been with my sister Shakira and I very step of the way, teaching and guiding us through every moment in our lives.
Papi loved the outdoors, he always had a way of making an ordinary day an exciting one. So, it was only natural that we were always outside with him exploring every moment possible.
He always had a way of explaining and letting me try something new. He would first show me the basics, and then let me try and venture on my own. Once I had got the hang of it, he would teach me techniques on how to improve, and in a way that I could make it my own.

He always supported what I did and was a step away to catch me when I fell, like in my first bicycle ride. I remembered it was late in the evening, Papi had just got back from work and he had bought me my first bicycle with training wheels. I was so excited I insisted on trying it out. He showed where sit, where to put my feet and how to use the brakes. He then got me on it, held my seat and gave me a light push to start off.
After few paddles, he let go and I was on my way. Excitedly I pedalled so fast that I got to the end of the street, and instead of braking as I should have, I turned the handle fast round the corner, and went crashing down. Papi ran to me, picked me up, wiped my knee, and asked if I was okay. I was okay but I was crying. Then he calmed me down and explained what I did that caused the fall.
As a kid, I always had fond memories of when I would sit with Papi and we would have our conversations about anything and everything. This would happen throughout my childhood. He would always have his way of explaining how the world operates and how I should look at life more positively.
Papi and I always had similar moments that we could relate to. When I was two, I scared my grandparents to death. One morning when mum and papi were at work and my grandfather had to make a run to the market, I decided I would follow him. So I put on my shoe on my own, and followed him without telling my amma (grandmother). My appa (gandfather) was ahead of me, I assumed he knew I was tagging along behind. Amma assumed I was playing outside, and had not realised I was following my appa as he walked and turned right to head to the main road,
I was distracted by something and had turned left. Naturally I assumed he was ahead of me and kept on walking without fear. Amma, at that point had realised I was nowhere to be found and kept calling out for me, making the neighbours come out to ask what had happened.
The uncle from next door, without hesitation got into his car, and went on to look for me. As I was walking, a lady saw me and stopped me and asked where I was going and why I was alone. “I said I wasn’t alone. My appa is in front and I am following him to the market.”
As I was talking to the aunty, the neighbour uncle has spotted me and was worried as I was talking to a stranger. He stopped and called out and said: “Your amma is worried sick, where were you off to?” I said again, “I was following appa (grandpa) to the market.” He said, “appa has gone another way, let’s go home.”
The lady was suspicious and hesitant to trust my uncle, so she followed as uncle took me back. Amma and appa did not tell my parents till that evening, as they were shaken by it. But at the end, I found out that papi had done the same when he was two years old. Like father like daughter.


One of my fond memories was being in Maybank Bangi headquarters, where the track was our biggest playground. We loved it.
I especially loved the holidays, when Shakira and I would have our cousins (Kuhan & Kuilan) over. We were called the little mascots for the athletics team. Reason being is every morning like clockwork, we would get up and run out in our over-sized T-shirts that belonged to papi, to the track. We would lead the athletics team as we sang Negaraku before they started their morning training. In a single file we would stand proudly and tall in our over-sized jammies to sing the national anthem. After we were done, the athletes would start their workout and we would wander off playing, or attempting to train with the team.
One of my first attempts to hurdle was in Bangi as well. Papi exposed me to hurdles at a very young age. I would try the mini hurdle and also the regular sized hurdle (where it was placed down and tilt backwards in a triangle shaped) so it would be an easier height to clear for me. I had the best of times as it beat playing hopscotch.
Papi loved taking us to the pool as well. The same as teaching me how to ride a bicycle. At the beginning he got into the pool with Shak and I, teaching us the techniques of swimming.
How to swim, dive, float, sink, and do flips and even float. It didn’t take Shak and I long to catch up. After a while we were bored swimming in the shallow end. As we were rebels and little mischievous all the time, we were itching to swim at the deeper end of the pool. And so we did. Even the lifeguard couldn’t stop us. Because, even with Papi chilling by the pool, and reading his newspaper, he was always aware of where we were. So like gangsters we were the only kids swimming at the deep end.
Moving to Zoo View was one of the highlights of my childhood. Sister and I were the mini tomboys of our neighborhood. We lived on the hill, and right in front of our house was the jungle. Papi had spent time clearing a small part of the jungle for us to play. We would swing from the tree vines exactly like in the cartoon Tarzan. Papi will smoothen the ground as he had a set of golf clubs, and we would try to putt. We would have bonfires, roasting potatoes and have barbecues for every occasion.
Mummy and Papi ensured we had the full outdoor experience learning and exploring.
When I was 12 years old, after UPSR, mummy and papi had a serious discussion about my future. They asked me what I thought about joining Bukit Jalil Sports School. I hadn’t really thought about it.
“Papi, do you want me to give it a shot”? I asked him. I would need to qualify first, of course. And so we went for the open day trials. As it turned out, I qualified and so my journey started as an athlete.
Papi applied to be a coach in MSN, and we were the young troops of Bukit Jalil. Papi was in charge of the senior athletes at that point, as he was the national coach then. But after a year, he insisted on coaching the junior athletes, and so he started coaching my batch, and from then on my journey with Papi began as a coach and athlete.
For him, athletics wasn’t just about sports. For him it was about life and shaping one’s character and perception the many challenges that one will face. He would talk to us as a team, and at times individually. If I was having a bad day or was distracted, Papi could always sense it. He would always address it privately at the end of the session. He always cared for the well-being of his athletes, and would do all he could to help in any way possible.
During competition, Papi will ensure that he speaks to us reminding us of what we should do, our targets and techniques. He was always at the starting point to start his athletes off, and at the end of the race he would sit us down to explain what we did during the race, showing us how we could improve, and what we needed to focus on.
He always had time for us. He never favoured any of his athletes especially with me. When on track, I wasn’t his daughter, just one of his athletes. Papi taught me to believe in myself, to always fight for what I wanted and do what I loved. He taught me never to do something to impress others. He always told me to be strong, be the best version of myself, to always know my roots, be humble, and be kind to others.
The strongest memory of my childhood is filled with lessons that my father and mother bestowed upon me. Sometimes memories can take different versions when they related by different people in family gatherings.
A memory that belongs to me and has not been tainted by the different versions, was about me as a five-year-old girl, running into the waiting arms of my father when kindergarten ended. My dad was always at the gates of the school waiting for me. Not once was he ever late.


I remember our adventures to the Klang Gates Dam on Fridays or the weekends. Fortunately for me it was only a five-minute journey from my school. I remember walking along the gigantic water pipes. “Be careful” he would say to me, but never once did he discourage me from being adventurous. Passing by the kampung folks who were always happy and friendly, he would always greet them as if they were close friends. When we got to the fringe of the forest he would always let me lead the way. Can you imagine a five-year old happily marching through the forest with only one goal in mind, and that was to get to the river as soon as possible. As soon as we would reach the river, “splash” in I would go. I remember this one weekend our neighbour’s boys who were much older, followed us on our adventure to ‘the river. At five, you couldn’t comprehend fear the way you would when you were older. So when I climbed up a tree to jump into the river and said “your turn” to the boys, I couldn’t understand why they were afraid. He would never taunt the boys but always encouraged them.
Five years ago after my father passed away, I was feeling lost and disconnected to the life I had been living in the city. I was driving around while thinking about my father and found that I ended up at the parking spot near the river. I passed the water pipes that looked gigantic when I was five and I couldn’t believe how small it looked now. Slowly I drove past the kampung and arrived at the parking. As I made my way through the forest and to the river, all my memories as a child and my visits to the river came flowing back as easily as the river flows. I sat on a boulder that I used to jump off and just closed my eyes and took in the sounds of the river flowing, birds chirping, and crickets and cicada’s singing. I took in a deep breath and let the smell of nature fill my lungs as the wind caressed my skin and stoked my hair. I sat there and I relived the memories of my father.
My father had been grooming me to be courageous and to fully commit to any decisions I made and to always be aware of my surroundings. He had created such a strong bond between me and nature that I will always be grateful for.
He had always encouraged me to make my own decisions and constantly reminded me to be careful as I followed the path I had chosen. He encouraged me to be more, do more. He had taught me to never look down on others for their fears but instead help them to overcome them. He taught me to face my fears and I do that on a daily basis. Most of all, he taught me to love nature. To love Mother Nature and to respect Mother Nature.
“Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life,” he said to me once. Those words came floating through the trees, carried by the wind, I could almost hear him say it. Feeling renewed I left the Klang Gates Dam river knowing that my father had prepared me for my future. He had hidden important life lessons in every memory that I had of him. He had prepared me to go out, be adventurous and to always be kind and stay humble. To love and care for all. I will forever be grateful to have had a father who always encouraged me to be the best version of myself.
Papi devoted his time, love and passion to what he did. He would love being at the track, he was always the first and last to leave and never missed training unless he it there was a thunder storm,
Papi was a simple and humble man with no expectations, and everyone loved him and respect him. He was a loving family man. He lived a simple life. He appreciated everything that life had to offer, and never demanded for anything more. He was always to himself and never troubled anyone. We miss him dearly. We love you Papi.

An Old Cassette Tape

By
George Das: It’s an old cassette tape. In fact, It’s a tape I’ve recorded over and over many a time. Mostly it was to record country music aired over Radio Malaysia in the early seventies.This particular Cobalt C60 cassette tape means a great deal to me. Recorded over the country music is the voice of Muhammad Ali.
Many recordings of Ali are out there in the market but I suspect this is probably the only recording which has the three-time heavyweight boxing champion reciting poems.I was most fortunate to be there alone with him in the presidential suite of the Kuala Lumpur Hilton. Dawn had just broken on the Thursday of June 26th, 1975 and the No. 1 country song at that time was Don Williams’ “You’re my best Friend”.

In front of me was Ali, the biggest sporting icon the world had ever seen and how very fortunate I was to have this personal interaction with him.

Just a few hours earlier, I had trudged along with Ali on the uneven and heavy Selangor Turf Club track as he worked on his stamina and legs. After the workout, he invited me over to his suite as I hitched a ride with him in his limousine.

I had already planned for such an eventuality. So I was armed with my notebook and my sturdy and reliable National cassette player (unfortunately it’s no more in my possession).

We talked about his upcoming fight with Joe Bugner for a while. He then stopped short and asked me, “Do you want to hear some poems?”  At first I was not keen but I was not in control of the situation.

Without an answer from me, he began to recite “The Heart” from a book. My cassette tape was still rolling and this is what I heard:

I must confess here, I was never a fan of Ali. I grew up hating his guts. He was a brash, bold,          arrogant and a showy boxer.

But on that day when I had the opportunity to be in close contact with him, I discovered the ‘real’ Ali. There was a certain magnetism about him.

He was a gentleman and very polite. No raised voices or harsh words spewed from the “Lousville Lip”. He was soft-spoken and you had to strain your ears to catch every word he spoke. This was when I found out that I was totally wrong about my earlier judgment of him in my 110- minute encounter with “The Greatest”.

Ali won numerours titles with his lightning fists and shuffles but he captured the world with his heart of gold. He transcended the sport. He was a sportsman and a legend. It was remarkable to watch him. He could turn a press conference into an event with his jokes and poems.

He had the grace, he had the charm and was a humble human being. Ali will also be remembered as a magnificent sportsman and a great showman.

Without a doubt, Ali was “The Greatest” sporting icon, a global sports personality and we’ll never see another like him ever!

Those memories of my encounter with Ali, who was bigger than life, are stored in this old cassette tape of 42 years ago.

By
George Das

A Rock Star Idol

By
George Das: In  Kuala Lumpur. Although his exceptional talent as a goalkeeper was already showing, he turned out as a striker for his alma mater in the under-18 team.

In fact he was spotted for his football flair as a 10 year-old forward by Master Francis Fernando of La Salle School Sentul at a primary inter-school match. He was then with a Chinese school.Fernando, who was the football teacher, saw his talent and requested his mother to transfer Chee Keong to La Salle Sentul.

Chee Keong honed his goalkeeping traits at La Salle Sentul under Master Fernando where Tony Francis also went to school with another schoolmate Christie Michael. Fernando, a dynamic sports teacher, will make Chee Keong play in goal and also as a centre-forward. He also trained him to be a sprinter and had the distinction of running just under 11 seconds in the 100 yards.

Christie Michael, who was Chee Keong’s teammate from La Salle School Sentul through to St John’s Institution, remembers this wonderful guy: “I was a left-winger. All I had to do was send the ball to Chee Keong, and he will put the finishing touches.”

“After he scores, without fail he’ll run up to me and hug me,” recalled Christie.

However in St. John’s, Chee Keong  hardly played between the“posts” for at 15 years of age, he was already in the school’s 1964 under-18 team. He was equally good at dribbling and so coach Major Mok Wai Kin deployed him in the attack.

“He terrorised the opposing defence with his footwork and it was a delight to watch him,” recalled Joseph Teng, a teammate from the St. John’s senior team. At the same time he was already representing the Malaysian Youth team appearing for them at the tender age of 13 and winning accolades as a talented goalkeeper.

He was just not a one sport sensation. Turning out for St. John’s at inter-schools competitions, he also excelled in athletics (100, 200 & 400 yards), and rugby. He was a fast wing half in rugby.

“Chee Keong was a sports protégé with exceptional talent. Though he was an excellent goalkeeper, he could have excelled in any sport,” commented A. Vaithilingam, a former Malaysian Schools Sports Council secretary.

Making his debut for Malaysia in the 1965 Merdeka Football Tournament at 15 and the youngest Malaysian to do so, he was the reserve keeper to Teh Cheng Lee but the following year he became the first choice and continued to appear for the country until 1970. He played alongside M. Chandran, N. Thanabalan, Ghani Minhat, M. Kuppan, M. Karathu, Soh Chin Aun, Santokh Singh, the Choe brothers Robert and Richard, and many others before turning professional in Hong Kong.

“I met him in 1963 when he was a reserve in the Selangor Malaysia Cup team and just a schoolboy,” was Chandran’s recollection.

He continued: “A very reliable keeper. We could play with confidence with him in goal and we could rely on him to be in control in any situation in the penalty area. He was good at diving for the ball from any position and also good in the air. He was no doubt the best goalkeeper we have ever had.”

Thanabalan, had some great moments with Chee Keong whom he described as “full of fun” and as one who was always playing pranks and jokes on the senior players but on the field he was a much disciplined person.

He told how opposing forwards were scared of going up into the air with Chee Keong.

“Great forwards like Indonesia’s Sujipto, Jacob Sihasali and Singaporeans Quah Kim Swee and Majid Ariff wouldn’t dare tangle with him lest they get hurt,” Thanabalan quipped.

At the 2017 Sports Flame function, where former sports personalities came together, Chee Keong and Thanabalan were overheard to sharing a joke about a two touch football.

“He kicked the ball into the opponents half. It bounced over the centre back and rolled towards goal. Before the opposing keeper could get to it, I pounced on it and scored. So we called it a two touch football.”

Arriving in Hong Kong in late 1970, Chee Keong became an overnight celebrity, a “football rock star.”

A black-belt karate exponent, he had the looks of something between Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, and the fans revered this brilliant goalkeeper.

He  was dubbed “Crazy Sword” and “Asian Steel Gate.” He was getting paid  more than any other player in the Hong Kong league.

So popular was he that in one match where he appeared for South China FC in the mid-70s, he was flown into the middle of the Hong Kong Stadium which was filled to the brim with 20,000 spectators in a helicopter.

Tickets were sold out for  almost all matches he played during his stint with Rangers, South China, Tung Shin, Jardines and Caroliners from 1970 till 1982.

Chee Keong set the trend for many Malaysians turning professional in the Hong Kong league…Khoo Luen Khen, Chan Yong Chong, Wong Kam Fook, Chan

 

We had just entered the traditional Chinese dhobi shop at Number 6, Ipoh Road in Kuala Lumpur, and waiting for us inside was a cheerful Chow Chee Keong.

A pile of clothes all ironed and folded was stacked behind where he was sitting. It was a day in June 1973, when he had just  returned to his parents’ home during the off-season of the Hong Kong pro football league.

I was then with the STAR and  was tagging along with Tony Francis of New Straits Times to interview the international star keeper who was making waves in Hong Kong as a professional player. These visits to interview Chee Keong will continue throughout the 70s for me.

Chee Keong was two years our junior at St. John’s Institution in  Kuala Lumpur. Although his exceptional talent as a goalkeeper was already showing, he turned out as a striker for his alma mater in the under-18 team.

In fact he was spotted for his football flair as a 10 year-old forward by Master Francis Fernando of La Salle School Sentul at a primary inter-school match. He was then with a Chinese school.Fernando, who was the football teacher, saw his talent and requested his mother to transfer Chee Keong to La Salle Sentul.

Chee Keong honed his goalkeeping traits at La Salle Sentul under Master Fernando where Tony Francis also went to school with another schoolmate Christie Michael. Fernando, a dynamic sports teacher, will make Chee Keong play in goal and also as a centre-forward. He also trained him to be a sprinter and had the distinction of running just under 11 seconds in the 100 yards.

Christie Michael, who was Chee Keong’s teammate from La Salle School Sentul through to St John’s Institution, remembers this wonderful guy: “I was a left-winger. All I had to do was send the ball to Chee Keong, and he will put the finishing touches.”

“After he scores, without fail he’ll run up to me and hug me,” recalled Christie.

However in St. John’s, Chee Keong  hardly played between the“posts” for at 15 years of age, he was already in the school’s 1964 under-18 team. He was equally good at dribbling and so coach Major Mok Wai Kin deployed him in the attack.

“He terrorised the opposing defence with his footwork and it was a delight to watch him,” recalled Joseph Teng, a teammate from the St. John’s senior team. At the same time he was already representing the Malaysian Youth team appearing for them at the tender age of 13 and winning accolades as a talented goalkeeper.

He was just not a one sport sensation. Turning out for St. John’s at inter-schools competitions, he also excelled in athletics (100, 200 & 400 yards), and rugby. He was a fast wing half in rugby.

“Chee Keong was a sports protégé with exceptional talent. Though he was an excellent goalkeeper, he could have excelled in any sport,” commented A. Vaithilingam, a former Malaysian Schools Sports Council secretary.

Making his debut for Malaysia in the 1965 Merdeka Football Tournament at 15 and the youngest Malaysian to do so, he was the reserve keeper to Teh Cheng Lee but the following year he became the first choice and continued to appear for the country until 1970. He played alongside M. Chandran, N. Thanabalan, Ghani Minhat, M. Kuppan, M. Karathu, Soh Chin Aun, Santokh Singh, the Choe brothers Robert and Richard, and many others before turning professional in Hong Kong.

“I met him in 1963 when he was a reserve in the Selangor Malaysia Cup team and just a schoolboy,” was Chandran’s recollection.

He continued: “A very reliable keeper. We could play with confidence with him in goal and we could rely on him to be in control at any situation in the penalty area.He was good at diving for the ball from any position and also good in the air. He was no doubt the best goalkeeper we have ever had.”

Thanabalan, had some great moments with Chee Keong whom he describes as “full of fun” and as one who is always playing pranks and jokes on the senior players but on the field he was a much disciplined person. He told how opposing forwards were scared of going up into the air with Chee Keong.

“Great forwards like Indonesia’s Sujipto, Jacob Sihasali and Singaporeans Quah Kim Swee and Majid Ariff wouldn’t dare tangle with him lest they get hurt, Thanabalan quipped.

At the 2017 Sports Flame function, where former sports personalities came together, Chee Keong and Thanabalan were overheard to share a joke about a two touch football:” He kicked the ball into the opponents half. It bounced over the centre back and rolled towards goal. Before the opposing keeper could get to it, I pounced on it and scored.So we callit a two touch football.”

Arriving in Hong Kong in late 1970, Chee Keong became an overnight celebrity, a kind off “football rock star.”A black-belt karate exponent, he had the looks of something between Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, and the fans revered this brilliant goalkeeper.He  was dubbed “Crazy Sword” and “Asian Steel Gate.” He was getting paidmore than any other player in the Hong Kong league.

So popular was he that in one match where he appeared for South China FC in the mid-70s, hewas flown into the middle of the Hong Kong Stadium which was filled to the brim with 20,000 spectators in a helicopter.

All matches he played for the various clubs from 1970 till 1982… Rangers, South China, Tung Shin, Jardines, and Caroliners match tickets would be sold out and it would leave largenumbers of fans ticketless and disappointed.

Chee Keong set the trend for many Malaysians turning professional in the Hong Kong league. ..Khoo Luen Khen, Chan Yong Chong, Wong Kam Fook, Chan Kok Leong, Fung Seng Meng, Yee Seng Choy, Lim Fung Kee, Wong Voon Leung, Lee Ah Kau, Yip Chee Keong and  for a brief spell even Wong Choon Wah and Soh Chin Aun.

For Lim Fung Kee, his memories go back to when he was a 13 – year-old student of Cochrane Road School and Chee Keong was 16.He watched him play in a Selangor League match: “He became my idol and inspired me to be a goalkeeper. I admired him,” said Fung Kee, who played for Malaysia in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.

He never gave up playing for the Malaysian national team. He made a brief comeback for the 1981 Asian Cup in Kuwait… a comeback he was utterly disappointed till his death. Malaysia fared terribly and it was dubbed the “Kuwait Debacle.”

I remember him telling me that it was a nightmare. There was bitterness when he said: “There was only one reason why we fared so badly. The team that played in  Kuwait was never the one that the public was led to believe.

“There never was a team. Individual talent there was but if you think that all these made up a team, in the real sense of the word, you are badly mistaken.

According to Chee Keong the single biggest flaw in the team was “factionalism”, one born out of coach Karl Weigang’s error in playing favourites.” This was obvious right from the start of centralised training and it was allowed to fester in Kuwait. Weigang’s favourites were allowed to dictate everything, the pattern of play and even down to the final choice of players to be fielded.”

But apart from this only disappointment, Chee Keong’s nearly 18-year chequered football career had many memorable moments which overwhelm that final fling with the national team. He loved to talk about the few encounters he had facing Pele and his Santos team from Brazil. Pele found many a time he had difficulty penetrating the “Asian Steel Gate” Chee Keong.

And there was the time in 1972 when he faced the diminutive Brazilian forward Tostao and Cruzeiro. He thwarted Tostao from scoring a number of times in this encounter. After that match, Cruzeiro offered to sign him up and even get him a Brazilian citizenship.But Chee Keong declined the offer and told me that he will never give up being a Malaysian.

After his football career ended in 1982, he returned to Malaysia and took up golf. V. Nellan, one of Malaysia’s veteran pro golfers, recalled the day Chee Keong went to him for some lessons at the Seremban International Golf Club. “Among all the other sportsmen who had taken up this game, Chee Keong was the most talented. He had a knack for the game. I just had to show him once or twice, and he quickly picked it up,” Nellan recollected. “He would always talk to me about how to keep fit and food. Keep away from oily food,” he would say.

He quickly picked up the game and became a professional golfer in 1984. He played on the Malaysian pro circuit for a couple of years and returned to Hong Kong where he became very popular among the golfers. He turned to teaching golf in Hong Kong and continued giving golf lessons in Malaysia on his return.

Chee Keong’s dream was to start a special “School for Goalkeepers” in Malaysia. He wanted to impart all his knowledge in this department to the younger generation of Malaysians. He had the credentials, having been voted Asia’s Best Keeper for five consecutive years from 1966-1970.

“Without this breed of courageous, dedicated and talented men, no team can survive, however impregnable their defence may be, particularly at the higher levels of international football,” he wrote for his column in Sports Mirror.

He believed in discipline, competitiveness, self-confidence, commitment, determination and emotional maturity in becoming a really good goalkeeper.

Sadly the school never materialised, but I have been most fortunate to have journeyed with this humble person and the only legacy of him I possess are some photos and 15 columns of “CHEE KEONG’S GOAL TIPS”.

Pride, Blood, Sweat & Tears

By
Jita Singh: Sometimes when I look back, I dare say Malaysia Cup derby matches on either ends of the Causeway rank among the most passionate anywhere in the world.

Piala Malaysia football has seen a lot of rivalries develop between states and clubs during its rich and long history, as it ranks as one of Asia’s longest-running football competitions, established in 1921 as the HMS Malaya Cup.

Coming close to a century-old, the fiery flair with urban and kampong fans have come and gone. But the aura of the Cup has lived on with their pride and legacy being passed on from generation to generation to keep the rivalry fueled.

I write assuredly that after four decades of Malaysia Cup experience under my belt as a player and coach, that Malaysia Cup-mania, especially in the 1960s and 70s have as much importance as some of Asia’s most fiercely-matched derbies.

Selangor versus Singapore at Kallang. Penang taking on Singapore at Georgetown. Kelantan and Singapore at Kota Baru. Or Sarawak hosting Singapore in Kuching.

These were more than just matches. Those were matters where the pride of the state and die-hard fans were at stake. It was, in a nutshell, an all-out war between both the arch-rivals, with the victor earning the bragging rights.

With its rich and eventful history of umpteen successes, the Lions were viewed as an “outsider” or international team, matched against the lesser experienced Malaysian states. And most times, the derby-styled encounters were often remembered for more of the hard knocks on the field than the football. Or the “bomoh” black magic sometimes displayed by rural folks.

MEMORABLE DERBIES  Perhaps some of the most memorable derbies were along the East Coast states like Kota Baru, when Kelantan entertained the Lions in 1970.

The Kelantanese were die-hard “bola” fans and we could feel their fanaticism as we stayed at an ordinary hotel just outside the stadium. From the hotel rooms we could see the fans streaming to the stadium after their Friday prayers.

It was more than just “blood, sweat and tears” as Kelantan had vengeance on their minds, after an unhappy first-leg match in Singapore. This tension-filled match usually had a lot of highpoints with many players voicing out their hatred towards their opponents to publicly fuel the rivalry.

From last-gasp winners to verbal abuses and brawls, the Singapore-Kelantan fixture has seen it all and is the perfect representation of what hard-core Malaysia Cup football is all about.

I remember in the pre-match build-up where Kelantan captain Mahadi Yusoff didn’t mince his words: “If Singapore wins today your players will be buried in this ground.”

And they smelt blood as they went from legs to chests to seriously intimidate the Lions. Needless to say, the small crowd of Singapore fans was overawed and the Lions had the tails between the legs in the 8-0 whipping.

BUS IN FIELD OF PLAY

After the match, security forces in civilian outfits surrounded the players as they escorted to the team bus. The abusing fans were so enraged, threatening to throw whatever they could get their hands on, that the bus entered the field of play!

We had to squat inside the bus as the fans rained stones at the bus. Windows were smashed with scattered broken glasses. It was a frightening experience and miraculously we survived.

Rather unbelievably, three hours later, Mahadi Yusoff and a few Kelantan players came to the hotel, and over handshakes and hugs, took us out for “makan kechil”.

That was the true spirit and camaraderie we enjoyed. Absolute animosity on the field. Great friends off it.

The Negri Sembilan match in 1980 holds unforgettable memories as it was played at Paroi as the Station Padang Stadium was not available.

Fans were seated along the perimeters of the pitch for the 4.30pm kick-off. And everyone could feel the rousing tension.

Humorously, one fan even tripped star striker Mohamad Noh, nicknamed Singapore’s Alan Clarke, as he was making his run down the flank, which escaped the referee’s eye. Later several Singapore players were wary going close to the touch-lines for fear of some tripping, pushing or elbowing!

TRANSPORT IN TAXIS

Even transport in the 1960s was not the luxury air-conditioned buses or even domestic flights. I remember the Malacca match where the Lions met at the Rochor Road taxi-stands and boarded the taxis, with four players to a four-wheeler cab.

Over the four-hour road trip, there was hardly any stop-over, no expressways for an easy ride and we would meet up at the designated hotel and only checked in when every player arrived.

Looking back, on hindsight, whatever the heights of rip-roaring rivalry, the Malaysia Cup “magic” of the 1960s and 70s was unmatchable and over 90 minutes, it was always entertaining in both good and bad ways.

These matches are often difficult to critique and predict as the players are rallied by their respective teams’ prestige and honour, which keeps them fighting to stay in the match till their last breath. Some matches may even have had a political link to it and politicians and even royalties have often been witnessed to point fingers at each other after the matches have been played.

I believe this has, for better or for worse, provided a much better class of football being exhibited. From rowdy crowds to some of the best football on exhibition.If you were from that generation, you wouldn’t have passed on the opportunity to witness some of the epic Malaysia Cup battles.

Yes, the intense rivalries provided from teenagers to senior citizens with moments of brilliance as well as madness, especially when the Lions played over the border with capacity crowds from Kangar to Kuala Lumpur, Kota Baru to Kuching and Johor Baru to Jalan Besar Stadium.

Jita Singh started coaching at 31, one of the youngest Malaysia Cup coaches. He ranks as an award-winning Singapore ‘Coach of the Year’, who won the Malaysia Cup in 1980. He later coached in Johor and Pahang. He was also a FIFA & AFC Coaching Instructor.

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