Wong Peng Soon
Encyclopedia
Wong Peng Soon, MBE  (1918 – May 22, 1996 ) was an Ethnic Chinese
Ethnic Chinese
Ethnic Chinese may refer to:*Han Chinese, the dominant ethnic group in the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macao, the Republic of China and Singapore....

 badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...

 player who reigned as a top player in Malaya
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...

 from the 1930s to the 1950s. Noted for his smooth but powerful strokes and graceful footwork, he won the singles title seven times in Singapore and eight times in Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...

 during this period, as well as being the top player in the Danish Open, the Indian Open, and the Philippines Open to name a few.

In 1950, he became the first Asian to win the All-England Championships
All England Open Badminton Championships
The All England Open Badminton Championships, or simply All England, is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious badminton tournaments. Played annually, it developed after the success of world's first badminton tournament held in Guildford in 1898...

, and won the title again in 1951, 1952, and 1955, earning him an international reputation as the "Great Wong". He also rose to victory as a member of the Thomas Cup
Thomas Cup
The Thomas Cup, sometimes called the World Men's Team Championships, is an international badminton competition among teams representing member nations of the Badminton World Federation , the sport's global governing body...

 team in 1948–49
1949 Thomas Cup
The 1949 Thomas Cup was the inaugural tournament of Thomas Cup, the most important men's badminton team competition in the world.The tournament was originally planned for 1941-1942 , but was delayed when World War II exploded across the continents...

 and 1952
Thomas Cup
The Thomas Cup, sometimes called the World Men's Team Championships, is an international badminton competition among teams representing member nations of the Badminton World Federation , the sport's global governing body...

, and for which he was captain of the team in 1955
1955 Thomas Cup
The Thomas Cup competition is an international team tournament for supremacy in men's badminton . Beginning in 1948-1949, it was held every three years until 1982 and has been held every two years thereafter...

.

His contribution to the sport was recognized when was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

 (MBE). In 1962, he made local history as the first and still the only sportsperson to date to be awarded the Sijil Kemuliaan
Sijil Kemuliaan
The Sijil Kemuliaan is a Singaporean award instituted in 1962.The Certificate of Honour consists of a scroll bearing the State Arms and the signature and seal of the President...

 (Certificate of Honour) by the Government of Singapore
Government of Singapore
The Government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to mean the Executive branch of government, which is made up of the President and the Cabinet of Singapore. Although the President acts in his personal discretion in the exercise of certain functions as a check...

.

Three years following his death in 1996, at the age of 78, due to a pneumonia, the International Badminton Federation
International Badminton Federation
The Badminton World Federation is the international governing body for the sport of badminton. Founded in 1934 as the International Badminton Federation with nine member nations , the BWF has since expanded to 165 member nations around the world...

 inducted him into its Hall of Fame
Badminton Hall of Fame
The Badminton Hall of Fame honors players who have shown exceptional skill at badminton, all-time great coaches and referees, and other major contributors to the game.There is also a USA Badminton Hall of Fame and a Badminton Canada's Hall of Fame ....

 in May 1999. Then chairman of the IBF, H R Ward, commented, that "Wong was one of the most remarkable players" and "had enhanced the sport through exceptional achievements".

Trivia

  • He came from a family of nine brothers and seven sisters.
  • He taught the Thai king
    Bhumibol Adulyadej
    Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...

     how to play badminton
  • His family stayed in big mansion in Jalan Ah Siang, Johor Bahru
    Johor Bahru
    Johor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland...

     before he moved to Singapore.
  • His granduncle is Wong Ah Fook
    Wong Ah Fook
    Wong Ah Fook was a Chinese immigrant, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who left an indelible imprint on the state of Johor in present-day Malaysia, particularly its capital, Johor Bahru...

    , who was a good friend of Sultan Abu Bakar
    Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor
    Sultan Sir Abu Bakar ibni Daing Ibrahim was the 21st Sultan of Johor. He was also informally known as "The Father of Modern Johor", as many historians accredited Johor's development in the 19th century to Abu Bakar's leadership...

     and was the contractor responsible for the construction of Istana Besar
    Istana Besar
    Istana Besar or Grand Palace is the royal palace of the Sultanate of Johor which is located in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.-Overview:Standing tall in the city of Johor Bahru, the palace was built in 1866 by Sultan Abu Bakar...

    .

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK