Current national players a lucky lot, says Chin Kiat

Discussion in 'Malaysia Professional Players' started by ants, Mar 12, 2005.

  1. ants

    ants Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2002
    Messages:
    13,202
    Likes Received:
    51
    Occupation:
    Entrepreneur , Modern Nomad
    Location:
    Malaysian Citizen of the World
    TheStar

    PETALING JAYA: The current crop of national badminton players are indeed a lucky lot compared to those in the past, veteran coach Moe Chin Kiat points out.

    Chin Kiat, who started out as a coach with the national team from 1969 before bowing out in 1990 when the Badminton Association of Malaysia got involved in the Marlboro Thomas Cup project, says BAM were not a rich association in the early days.

    “There were no sponsors at all and there was no such thing as full-time training. The players also had little chance to go overseas for competitions, not even the Open tournaments or World Championships,†he recalled.

    That was the period when Malaysian badminton went through lean times after the heydays of Eddy Choong, Tan Aik Huang, Tan Aik Mong, Punch Gunalan and Ng Boon Bee.

    Memories came flooding back as the veteran talked about the old times.

    Chin Kiat, 69, remembers he had a refrigerator, which was used not for storing food but to keep shuttlecocks.

    “We had no money to buy good quality shuttlecocks. We often sourced for cheaper shuttlecocks outside.

    “The shuttlecocks were cheap but they travelled faster. That’s why I kept them in the fridge to slow them down.â€

    The first time the national badminton players got together for centralised training was in the preparation for the Thomas Cup Finals in 1975, which was held in Bangkok.

    He remembered coaches then had to pass the hat around to buy food for the players.

    “We were training at MABA House then and sometimes people would pay for our lunch. They knew who we were. Until today, I do not know who they were.â€

    Among the players in the national squad under head coach Punch Gunalan then were James Selvaraj and Moo Foot Lian.

    The centralised training stint paid off when Malaysia managed to qualify for the final. Although the team lost to Indonesia in the decider, Malaysia were able to beat Denmark in the second round.

    “That was when everyone began to see the advantages of centralised training.â
     
  2. ants

    ants Regular Member

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2002
    Messages:
    13,202
    Likes Received:
    51
    Occupation:
    Entrepreneur , Modern Nomad
    Location:
    Malaysian Citizen of the World
    Imagine last time they already know how to store the shuttles in the ref..
     
  3. economet

    economet Regular Member

    Joined:
    May 13, 2004
    Messages:
    316
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Germany
    Thank you for this interesting article. Park Joobong called Punch Gunalan most powerful in the internatonal badminton scene. So he was a player and head coach for the Malaysian team. To include Li Yong Bo in the council of IBF was his idea.
     
  4. cobalt

    cobalt Moderator

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2010
    Messages:
    8,906
    Likes Received:
    10
    Occupation:
    Yes
    Location:
    Arrakis
    Just came across this article, thought I'd share it with you all... :) Its a lovely tribute to a rare and honourable man.

    ============ ========== =========== ===============

    To Ciku, with love
    By RAJES PAUL
    Wednesday August 31, 2011
    Full story: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/8/31/merdeka/9247818&sec=merdeka

    Excerpts:

    At an age when most people would be slowing down, former badminton coach Moe Chin Kiat continues with his work of coaching young and disabled athletes.

    THE best way to describe former national badminton coach Moe Chin Kiat is “a selfless giver”.

    ...All these years, he did not go after fame, recognition or awards but stayed ahead with a mission to bring joy to others through badminton.

    He took up the job as a badminton coach with the Paralympic Team in 1992 without any pay or perks.

    This was soon after both the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and the state association decided not to use the services of this retiree despite his great wealth of experiences, for reasons only known to them.

    “I was hoping but no offers came by. But there was a need with the disabled team and I immediately jumped at the chance to help,” said the compassionate Chin Kiat, who was looked up to as Selangor Badminton Association’s (SBA) pillar of strength.

    “These disabled athletes were genuine and sincere in wanting to learn and I took it up as another challenge.

    ...Many top players had also enjoyed the benefit of his no-nonsense style of coaching at the SBA Hall during the 1970s and 1980s, including Moo Foot Lian, Dominic Soong, Phua Ah Hua, James Selvaraj, Rosalind Singha Ang, Katherine Teh, the famous Sidek brothers and the more recent players like Foo Kok Keong, Chan Chong Ming, Ong Soon Hock, Tan Bin Shen and the Wong sisters – Mew Choo and Miew Kheng.

    But he was more than a coach to many. He has forked out his own money to pay the bills for the players’ food and travel charges. He even took some players under his roof, and even sourced out funds to send them for competitions. Throughout, he showed them tough love.

    ...Unlike his days in the national and state training teams, Chin Kiat said that he used a different approach in coaching the disabled athletes. “A coach will have to evolve and come out with new ideas all the time. I may be old but I still learn everyday to give my best to the players,” he said.

    “Coaches should be the driver and motivator of their players – especially so when they are down and disappointed. This will make the difference in their lives – whether they are able or disabled bodies.”

    ...It will not be too wrong to make the assumption that when the players bring him the fruits, it is with this thought in mind, “To Ciku, with love.”
     
  5. kwun

    kwun Administrator

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2002
    Messages:
    41,041
    Likes Received:
    2,065
    Occupation:
    BC Janitor
    Location:
    Santa Clara, CA, USA
    very nice article by Rajes. thanks for sharing.
     
  6. mb111

    mb111 Regular Member

    Joined:
    Nov 14, 2009
    Messages:
    152
    Likes Received:
    0
    Occupation:
    Information Technology
    Location:
    Canada
    Thank you ants, Cobalt. Appreciate this thread of introducing Moe Chin Kiat to us.
     
  7. extremenanopowe

    extremenanopowe Regular Member

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2005
    Messages:
    13,704
    Likes Received:
    271
    Occupation:
    Chief Coach. The best and still active.
    Location:
    www.extreme-power.org or xtremexn.blogspot.com
    So, this is cikgu. He's staying in Bangsar now rite? ;)
     

Share This Page