User:LEE 003/sandbox
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname | Iron Man of Malaya[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Malaysian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 22 August 1917[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 2 October 2006 (aged 89)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Resting place | Nirvana Memorial Park, Semenyih, Selangor. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Photographer Weightlifter Referee | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Wong Yoke Lan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | Ronnie Koh Tony Koh Jerry Koh Maureen Koh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Weightlifting | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1958 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| Traditional Chinese | 辜榮堂 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 辜荣堂 | ||||||||||
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Koh Eng Tong (Chinese: 辜荣堂; 22 August 1917 – 2 October 2006) was an athlete and professional photographer from Malaysia. Among the first to win the Commonwealth Games gold medal for Malaya, he played an instrumental part in bringing Malaysian sports to world prominence.
Career
1941 Federation Weight Lifting Championship
1948 National Games of the Republic of China
1950 British Empire Games
In 1950, Malaya was allowed for the first time to send a contingent to the 1950 British Empire Games held in Auckland, New Zealand. The 1950 Games was also the first occasion weightlifting was introduced. Due to the absence of a sports organisation, the weightlifters had to pay their own expenses to participate at the games. Koh Eng Tong and Tho Fook Hung won Malaya's first gold medal at the Games.
Koh lifted a total of 310.5 kg (685 lbs) in the featherweight category, winning him the Gold medal.[4]
1956 Summer Olympics
Malaya was officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1954. Koh Eng Tong was among a contingent of 33 athletes sent by the Federation of Malaya Olympic Council to participate in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne.[5]
6 years removed from his gold medal performance, Koh lifted 285 kg (628 lbs), well off his personal best and finish in 17th place.
Retirement
International weightlifting referee
Personal life
Koh Eng Tong started practicing weightlifting at the age of 14 in his backyard. His brother-in-law used to wield a cane to get Koh to lift the iron weights.
In 1950 Koh became the founder and chairman of Eng Tong System Sdn. Bhd., a supplier of professional photographic equipment and other products in Malaysia.
In 28 October 1993, Koh managed to contact fellow 1950 British Empire Games gold medallist Tho Fook Hung in Penang. Tho died a few hours after his visit, with Koh helping the preparation of his funeral. In 1998, Koh opposed the decision of choosing Olympics medallist weightlifter Matin Guntali for the 1998 Asian Games, as he believed Matin had already passed his prime, and the younger athlete Rahman Ahmad should have been picked instead.[6] Koh had had donated artifacts and a photo he took of the 1956 Summer Olympics to the Australian Sports Museum.[7]
Koh Eng Tong died in 2 October 2006 at the age of 89. He was buried at Nirvana Memorial Park in Semenyih, Selangor.[3]
Honours
Hall of Fame
In 1994, Koh Eng Tong was inducted to the Malaysia Hall of Fame for sportspersons by the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM). Koh had presented to OCM a classic photo taken of him at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne.[1]
1998 Commonwealth Games
When Kuala Lumpur hosted the 1998 Commonwealth Games, Koh Eng Tong and gymnast Nurul Fatiha Abd Hamid was honoured by becoming the Queen's Baton Relay final runners, they handed the baton which contained the Queen's message to Prince Edward as the Queen's representative in place of his father Prince Philip, the Commonwealth Games Federation president.[8]
The games were the first hosted by an Asian country and for the first time in the history of the games that all 70 Commonwealth countries took part. [citation needed]
Order of the Defender of the Realm
Koh Eng Tong was conferred Member of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (Ahli Mangku Negara) (AMN) in 1999.[9]
The Malaysia Book Of Records
Koh Eng Tong was included in The Malaysia Book Of Records as the first to win the Commonwealth Games gold medal for Malaya.[10]
References
- ^ a b "Hall of Fame". OCM Sports Museum & Hall of Fame. Olympic Council of Malaysia. 3 June 2010. Archived from the original on 3 June 2010. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
- ^ Vijesh Rai (23 August 1998). "Koh, the hero of 1950, celebrates his 79th birthday". New Straits Times. p. 19.
- ^ a b "OBITUARY". The Star. 3 October 2006. p. 52.
- ^ Groom, Graham (17 October 2017). THE COMPLETE BOOK OF THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES (2018 ed.). Lulu Press. p. 382. ISBN 9789403645131.
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Koh Eng Tong Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
- ^ Jugjet Singh (27 November 1998). "Matin should stay home, says Koh". New Straits Times. p. 37.
- ^ "Koh Eng Tong". Australian Sports Museum.
- ^ Carolyn Hong; Randhir Singh (12 September 1998). "Opening a showpiece of our culture". New Straits Times. p. 2.
- ^ SENARAI PENUH PENERIMA DARJAH KEBESARAN, BINTANG DAN PINGAT PERSEKUTUAN TAHUN 1999. (PDF) (in Malay), Prime Minister's Department Ceremonial and Protocol Section, 1999, p. 37
- ^ Ooi, Danny (2004). Malaysia Book Of Records - Gold Edition (PDF). The Malaysia Book of Records. p. 213. ISBN 9839949632.
External links
- This article has no link in Wikidata