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In this Chinese name, the family name is Koh (辜).
Koh Eng Tong
辜荣堂
AMN
Personal information
NicknameIron Man of Malaya[1]
NationalityMalaysian
Born22 August 1917[2]
Died2 October 2006 (aged 89)[3]
Resting placeNirvana Memorial Park, Semenyih, Selangor.
Occupation(s)Photographer
Weightlifter
Referee
SpouseWong Yoke Lan
ChildrenRonnie Koh
Tony Koh
Jerry Koh
Maureen Koh
Sport
SportWeightlifting
Retired1958
Medal record
Men's weightlifting
Representing  Malaya
British Empire Games
Gold medal – first place 1950 Auckland 310.5 kg
National Games of the Republic of China
Gold medal – first place 1948 Shanghai
North Malayan Amateur Junior
Weight-lifting Championships
Silver medal – second place 1941 George Town
(featherweight) 		247.5 kg
Bronze medal – third place 1941 George Town
(heavyweight) 		224.5 kg
F.M.S. Weight-lifting Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1941 Ipoh 231 kg
LEE 003/sandbox
Traditional Chinese辜榮堂
Simplified Chinese辜荣堂
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinGū Róngtáng
Southern Min
Hokkien POJKo͘ Êng-tông

Koh Eng Tong (Chinese: 辜荣堂; 22 August 1917 – 2 October 2006) was an athlete and 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.

Early 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.

Sports career

1941

F.M.S. Weight-lifting Championships

In April 1941, a weightlifting competition was held at the Jubilee Park in Ipoh, Perak. The competition was opened to permanent residents of the Federated Malay States.[4]

Koh Eng Tong placed 3rd in the featherweight class after lifting 231 kg (510 lbs).[5]

North Malayan Amateur Junior Weight-lifting Championships

In August 1941, a weightlifting competition for residents of Northern Malaya was held at the New World Amusement Park in George Town, Penang.[6] Koh participated in both featherweight and heavyweight class.[7]

Koh lifted 247.5 kg (545.5 lbs) and placed 2nd in the featherweight class, while in the heavyweight class he lifted 224.5 kg (495.5 lbs) and placed 3rd.[7]

1948 National Games of the Republic of China

The Republic of China decided to hold their 7th National Games in 1948, after its postponement caused by World War II and the Chinese Civil War. Despite financial difficulties, the Malayan Chinese Organising Committee still assembled a contingent to the Games.[8][9] Koh Eng Tong was part of 5 weightlifters sent there.

Koh placed 1st in the middleweight class after lifting x kg (x lbs).

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 athletes, short of money, were sponsored by Wong Hoi Onn, president of the Selangor Health and Strength Association to participate at the games. The athletes had to fulfill the condition of winning a medal, or they would have to repay their expenses. Koh Eng Tong and Tho Fook Hung won Malaya's first gold medal at the Games.

Koh lifted 310.5 kg (685 lbs) in the featherweight class, winning him the gold medal.[10] He was declared one of the world's top 10 featherweight weightlifters the following year.

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, Australia.[11]

6 years removed from his gold medal performance, Koh lifted 285 kg (628 lbs), well off his personal best and finished in 17th place.

Retirement

International weightlifting referee

Photography career

In 1950, Koh Eng Tong became the founder and chairman of Eng Tong System Sdn. Bhd., a supplier of professional photographic equipment in Malaysia.

Personal life

Koh Eng Tong reportedly had a habit of burning a joss stick before a competition. He burned a joss stick before his match in the 7th National Games of the Republic of China. He tried to do the same during the 1950 British Empire Games, but found it hard to get in New Zealand.[12]

In 28 October 1993, Koh managed to contact fellow 1950 British Empire Games gold medallist Tho Fook Hung at the in Penang. Tho died a few hours after his visit, with Koh helping the preparation of his funeral.[13]

Koh had 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 Rahman Ahmad should have been picked instead.[14]

Koh had had donated artifacts and a photo he took of the 1956 Summer Olympics to the Australian Sports Museum.[15]

Death

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 also presented to OCM a classic photo taken of him at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne.[1][16]

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, containing the Queen's message to Prince Edward as the Queen's representative in place of his father Prince Philip, the Commonwealth Games Federation president.[17]

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.[18]

The Malaysia Book Of Records

Koh Eng Tong, along with Tho Fook Hung was included in The Malaysia Book Of Records as the first to win the Commonwealth Games gold medal for Malaya.[19]

References

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Vijesh Rai (23 August 1998). "Koh, the hero of 1950, celebrates his 79th birthday". New Straits Times. p. 19.
  3. ^ a b "OBITUARY". The Star. 3 October 2006. p. 52.
  4. ^ "WEIGHT-LIFTING CHAMPIONSHIP Contest At Ipoh Jubilee Park". Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle. 1 November 1940. p. 11.
  5. ^ "WEIGHT-LIFTING CHAMPIONSHIPS Results Of First Night's Events". Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle. 14 April 1941. p. 11.
  6. ^ "WEIGHT-LIFTING AT NEW WORLD". Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle. 3 August 1940. p. 12.
  7. ^ a b "North Malayan Amateur Junior Weight-Lifting". Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle. 4 August 1941. p. 9.
  8. ^ Ken Jalleh (18 April 1948). "MALAYAN PRESTIGE WILL BE UPHELD". The Straits Times. p. 10.
  9. ^ "DRASTIC CUTS IN TEAMS FOR SHANGHAI". The Straits Times. 6 April 1948. p. 12.
  10. ^ Groom, Graham (17 October 2017). THE COMPLETE BOOK OF THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES (2018 ed.). Lulu Press. p. 382. ISBN 9789403645131.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ "£5 for joss stick". The Sun. 2 February 1950. p. 42.
  13. ^ Lee, Keng Fatt (30 October 1993). "Last reunion for ex-weightlifters". New Straits Times. p. 45.
  14. ^ Jugjet Singh (27 November 1998). "Matin should stay home, says Koh". New Straits Times. p. 37.
  15. ^ "Koh Eng Tong". Australian Sports Museum.
  16. ^ Tan, Kim Bee. "Weightlifter Tho merits place in Hall of Fame, too". New Straits Times. p. 15.
  17. ^ Carolyn Hong; Randhir Singh (12 September 1998). "Opening a showpiece of our culture". New Straits Times. p. 2.
  18. ^ 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
  19. ^ Ooi, Danny (2004). Malaysia Book Of Records - Gold Edition (PDF). The Malaysia Book of Records. p. 213. ISBN 9839949632.
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