1967 Thomas Cup heroes honoured in 2023

 

In conjunction with the Agong’s birthday in 2023, the team who brought home the coveted Thomas Cup in 1967, received the Panglima Jasa Negara award which carries the title, Datuk, from his Majesty the Agong.

 

Screengrab shot of his Majesty the Agong
presenting the Panglima Jasa Negara award
to Datuk Billy Ng Seow Meng

The victorious team of that Thomas Cup tournament held in Jakarta, Indonesia, made up of Yew Cheng Hoe, Tan Yee Khan, Teh Kew San, Tan Aik Huang, Ng Boon Bee and Billy Ng Seow Meng, beat Indonesia 6-3 in the finals.

 

Named after Sir George Alan Thomas, the Thomas Cup tournament is an international men’s badminton competition among teams that represent member nations of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

 

While the first tournament was originally planned for 1941 – 1942, the arrival of World War II, however, delayed the tournament.

 

The three older brothers in the Ng family,
[L to R] Roland Ng, Billy Ng and Robert Ng

The inaugural Thomas Cup tournament was held in 1949 and the victorious team from then Malaya who beat Denmark 8-1, included the late great Wong Peng Soon.

 

I did not know much about our family’s link to Wong Peng Soon until 2015 when a local film-making company contacted me because they read my family stories stored in My Johor Stories (www.peggyloh.com)

 

Wong, our grandmother’s cousin, was in the team who represented Malaya in the inaugural Thomas Cup tournament held in Preston, England, and was recognized as one of the greatest Singles badminton players in the early post-war period.

 

The film-makers were making a documentary on the Malayan badminton team who, against all odds, won the Thomas Cup in the inaugural games in 1949 and secured a prestigious place in badminton history.

 

Grandfather and grandmother
with their badminton trophies
at the front porch of No. 154
Jalan Ngee Heng, Johor Baru

They tracked me down for more information about Wong Peng Soon because they read from My Johor Stories that Wong’s trainer was our grandfather, four-time Johor state badminton champion.

 

One of my earliest published stories was, Where champions were born (New Straits Times, Johor Streets, September 2008) that introduced our grandfather and his house at No. 154 Jalan Ngee Heng in Johor Baru.

 

Grandfather had passed on in 1980 but mum’s eldest brother, Uncle Roland, a friend and contemporary of the late Eddy Choong, had trained alongside Wong.

 

Uncle had a memory like the proverbial elephant because he could recall full names of the badminton players, the specific tournaments and the years these games were held, and even – wait for it – their game scores.

 

Grandfather and grandmother on the
badminton court, Jalan Ngee Heng

As I listened in while the interview with Uncle was being recorded, I heard valuable nuggets of information, otherwise still unknown to me.

 

Later on (after it was completed), Uncle and his wife had the privilege to watch a preview of, The Forgotten Men of 1949, a documentary which was produced for the Busan International Film Festival.

 

The valuable details that Uncle shared about our link to the Wong family in Johor, was documented in, Family Ties, a story under Memories in my book sequel, My Johor Stories 2: Interesting Places and Inspirational People.

 

In the third and final instalment of My Johor Stories, My Johor Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now, I published Growing up in grandfather’s house and Badminton Glory Days, with precious memories from my growing-up years.

 

I shared that Badminton was probably in the blood because it was uncanny that a champion was born in the family almost every 10 years – Roland Ng (1931), Billy Ng (1940) and Sylvia Ng (1949). 

 

The 1967 Thomas Cup team
together again at a Reunion event

I cannot forget how Uncle Billy, who trained regularly on the exercise rowboat and by skipping, would be dripping with perspiration at the end of his workout and often sent us running from him when he threatened to give us a sweaty bear hug.

 

By the way, Uncle Billy was the only one among grandfather’s children who belonged to the alumni of the renowned Foon Yew High School in Johor Baru.

 

In August 1959, he emerged as the Malaysian Schoolboy Singles Champion and later that month, he led the Malaysian Combined Schools team against the Indonesian Youth Team where Uncle defeated Tang Xien Hu in straight sets. Incidentally, Tang later became the coach for badminton world champion, Lin Dan.

 

Uncle Billy was the Men’s Singles Champion in the 1964 and 1965 Malaysian Open, and was part of the Malaysian men’s team who won Silver in the 1966 Asian Games.

 

The 1967 Thomas Cup team members with their
Majesties the Agong and Permaisuri Agong

He is best remembered as a member of the 1967 victorious Thomas Cup team who triumphed when they played in an extremely hostile home crowd in Jakarta.

 

This triumphant team made a nationwide tour with the prestigious trophy and their stopover in Johor culminated with a gala dinner hosted in their honour, held in the palatial grounds of the Istana Besar in Johor Baru.

 

The photo of our grandparents with Uncle Billy and the Thomas Cup captured at this event, was featured with my story, Where champions were born, documented in my 2017 MPH Non-Fiction Bestseller, My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage.

 

Extracted from Page 390 that featured Uncle 
in A Pictorial History of Johor Bahru

While I was doing research to write My Johor Stories, I received a great deal of help from my friends in the Johor Baru Tiong Hua (Chinese) Association.

 

Among the reference books I used was the English version of, A Pictorial History of Johor Bahru, a publication by the Johor Bahru Chinese Association that documented 85 years of magnificent experiences and 50 years of brilliant achievements.

 

On Page 390, under the caption FAMOUS SPORTS STARS, the two sports personalities featured for badminton were Uncle Billy and his uncle, Wong Peng Soon.

 

I was pleased to see this but I was deeply disappointed when I read the brief writeup which said, and I quote:

 

“Born into a family of badminton, all the 13 family members except his mother, were badminton players.”

 

Datuk Billy Ng Seow Meng with
wife, Datin Sim Hiang Peng, Mary

When our grandmother celebrated her 100^th birthday, I shared a special feature aptly titled, The Real Champion (The New Sunday Times, May 2012) to celebrate her eventful life. [She passed on peacefully at the ripe old age of 103.]

 

The fact is, our grandmother was not only the mother of national and international badminton champions but she was also a badminton champion in her own right.

 

On one of my recent Heritage Walks under the Downtown Johor Baru project, I met the staff of the Johor Baru Chinese Heritage Museum and pointed out the error published on Page 390 of, A Pictorial History of Johor Bahru, with a request for his help to reach those responsible to amend it.

 

It may seem like a trivial matter but it is important to set the record right because in a bygone era when women were mothers and homemakers, our grandmother was all that and more, even a badminton player.

 

Uncle Datuk with his wife at the 
event held at Istana Negara

I am sure grandmother would be so proud to know that her son was honoured with the presentation of the Panglima Jasa Negara award from none other than the Agong himself.

 

On the morning of this event on June 5, there was a live telecast of the presentation ceremony on National television and I received the first screengrab shot from cousin Dennis, the only son of Uncle Billy, who was watching from Melbourne, Australia.

 

Inspired by his grandfather’s exciting career in badminton, Dennis’ older son, Thomas (as in the Thomas Cup!) has a keen interest in badminton.

 

Incidentally, Thomas who was in Cheras for badminton training, had the awesome privilege to witness his grandfather receiving the award from the Agong, ‘live’ at the ceremony.

 

In January this year, his Majesty the Agong had invited the 1967 Thomas Cup team to tea and a tour of the palace to honour them for their contributions that kept the nation’s flag flying high.

 

One for the album, [L to R]
grandson Thomas, Datuk and Datin,
with their older daughter, Adeline

After the event rehearsal on June 3, the presentation ceremony was held on June 5 at the Istana Negara.

 

All the members of the victorious team in 1967 were present at the ceremony while the late Datuk Ng Boon Bee, who passed on in August 2022, was posthumously awarded.

 

Uncle Billy, whom I had fondly dubbed Uncle Datuk, was accompanied by his wife, Datin Sim Hiang Peng AKA Aunty Mary, their eldest daughter, Adeline, and grandson, Thomas.

 

Congratulations Uncle Datuk and your 1967 fellow team members, Datuk Yew Cheng Hoe, Datuk Tan Yee Khan, Datuk Teh Kew San, Datuk Tan Aik Huang, and the late Datuk Ng Boon Bee, on being honoured with the Panglima Jasa Negara award by his Majesty the Agong.

 

P.S. While Uncle’s name is documented as Billie, it is all right to spell it as, Billy.

 

Note: The trilogy of My Johor Stories is available from MPH bookstores nationwide and online from mphonline.com

 

My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage and My Johor Stories 2: Interesting Places and Inspirational People, and My Johor Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now, that will complete the trilogy of My Johor Stories.