KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 — Every sporting triumph has its heroes. The player who scores the winning goal, the shuttler who lands the decisive smash and the cyclist who crosses the finish line first.

Yet behind every headline that sparks national pride stands another group of individuals whose names quite rarely make the front page — sports journalists entrusted with turning fleeting moments into lasting memories on the back page.

For decades, they have worked from press boxes, mixed zones and media centres, documenting the highs and lows of Malaysian sports while racing against unforgiving deadlines.

Few understand that responsibility better than former Bernama sports desk chief Tham Choy Lin, who spent more than a decade covering some of the nation’s biggest sporting moments.

Looking back, the 65-year-old said one particular year remains etched in her memory above all others.

“1992 was really an epic year for all of us,” she told Bernama.

Tham said it was the year Malaysia ended a 25-year wait to reclaim the Thomas Cup at Stadium Negara, and the year badminton made its Olympic debut in Barcelona and brought home the country’s first-ever Olympic medal through brothers Datuk Razif and Datuk Seri Jalani Sidek.

It was also the year Malaysia won the bid to host the 1998 Commonwealth Games, becoming the first Asian nation entrusted with staging the quadrennial multi-sport event.

On the 1992 Thomas Cup triumph, Tham said it was a night many local sports journalists regard as one of the highest points of their professional lives as they witnessed Malaysia reclaim badminton’s most coveted team title. The triumph was made sweeter as they edged bitter rivals Indonesia 3-2 in the final.

“We were definitely not the favourites. No, not until we beat China 3-2 in the semi-finals. Then the hopes started soaring,” she said.

The atmosphere inside the packed Stadium Negara was electric, with the crowd erupting after Malaysia sealed the title shortly after midnight.

As supporters celebrated wildly, Tham said many local journalists broke one of the profession’s most sacred rules.

“Sports journalism has this rule — no cheering in the press box. But we all did! We all cheered for our team,” she said.

Months later, she witnessed another historic moment when Razif and Jalani delivered Malaysia’s first-ever Olympic medal, a bronze, at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

For New Straits Times sports journalist Farah Azharie, Malaysia’s qualification for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar after a 43-year wait was a journey that not only transformed the national football team but also left a lasting impression on those tasked with documenting their rise.

She described the achievement as especially meaningful because it was earned on merit rather than through automatic qualification.

“In one word, speechless, because you’re part of something that you’ve covered from the start,” she said.

Farah said Malaysia’s spirited campaign in Qatar, particularly the dramatic 3-3 draw against giants South Korea, became one of the most memorable moments of the campaign.

She said the result forced many journalists to rewrite their match reports moments before the final whistle.

“Basically, we have written that Malaysia went down fighting but needed to change our angle because we got our first point in the Asian Cup after 43 years,” she said.

Veteran sports journalist Rizal Hashim, meanwhile, described the 1999 pre-Olympic football qualifiers in Hong Kong as one of the most unforgettable assignments of his career, not because of the action on the pitch, but the chaos that erupted afterwards.

Rizal recalled how a late equaliser by Nepal triggered crowd trouble inside the stadium, with supporters attacking Malaysian players, while his accreditation pass was snatched away before he and several other Malaysian journalists sought refuge in a VIP room occupied by the current Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

Former Berita Harian sports desk chief Norbakti Alias similarly remembered the 1994 Thomas Cup final in Jakarta as one of his toughest assignments, with celebrations by Indonesian supporters turning chaotic as bottles were thrown towards the Malaysian contingent.

As tensions escalated, players, officials and journalists were forced to seek shelter, while the medal presentation was eventually conducted in the dressing room — a stark reminder that sports reporting can sometimes place journalists in the middle of extraordinary situations.