FEB 3 — Despite his status as the best midfielder Malaysia has produced thus far, Wong Choon Wah, fondly known to his close friends as Ah Tuck, lived a simple life. And he passed away on Friday, the first day of Chinese New Year, a simple man.

I grew up idolising Choon Wah and never in my wildest dream did I think he would one day be a good friend of mine.

I bonded with him as a rookie reporter in the late 1970s, when I used to cover the local league in the Klang Valley. I met Choon Wah when he was playing for the Selangor Chinese Recreation Club (SCRC) in the Selangor League.

It was Kuala Lumpur FA treasurer Goh Ah Chai who introduced me to Choon Wah at the SCRC building in Jalan Pudu, where the club played their league matches.

I could not believe I was meeting Choon Wah, a legend and one whom I had admired all those years.

Being the unassuming man he was, he welcomed me warmly and immediately offered me beer. When I told him that I was working and I did not drink, he said: “My friend, if you want to cover sports and be a journalist, you had better learn to have a few, especially with friends.”

I obliged, and we became friends. It was there too that I met another football well-known, a referee — the late Koh Guan Kit.

Every time I dropped by SCRC, I made sure I paid my respects to Choon Wah. But it was in the last 10 years that I became very close to the man as he was an ambassador for club football and youth development programmes and was actively involved actively with the Ex-Internationals Football Association.

He never missed any event organised by the Ulu Kelang Recreation Club (UKRC), International Football Club (IFC) and Royal Selangor Club where he would join the other ex-internationals to add glamour to the event and inspire the younger players.

At the Ex-Internationals Soccer 9s organised by the association two years ago, Choon Wah, although he did not play, was a hit as almost everyone wanted to take a photograph with him.

He was also involved with IFC — a club for ex-internationals — with former international Ho Hon Seong being among those who keep the club alive and active. It was at IFC that I got to know Choon Wah better as we met regularly.

I last met Choon Wah on Jan 25 at the Sports Flame dinner and appreciation night organised by four former sports journalists (George Das, R. Velu, Fauzi Omar and Lazarus Rokk) to recapture the sports fraternity’s golden moments in the 1970s and 1980s and to show their appreciation for the athletes of that era who have been mostly forgotten.

A smartly-dressed Choon Wah walked in during cocktails and I called him over and introduced him to a few who did not know him.

He then left to mingle with the rest. But at the end of the dinner, he came up to me to say he was leaving. It was only 10pm, and I invited him to have a drink, remembering the time he first offered me one.

Sadly, he turned it down, saying he had to meet some people elsewhere. Next time then, I told him, but that is not to be.

Accolades are being heaped on Choon Wah, including from the prime minister, who has expressed shock at his demise. But I wish this midfield maestro had been given some recognition when he was still alive.

While many of his teammates and even footballers who came long after him have been honoured with titles from various heads of state, Choon Wah was bestowed none.

He lived a quiet life and probably that’s the way he wanted it to be.

To recap, Choon Wah was the first player to venture into professional football in Hong Kong with South China Athletics Association from 1972 to 1974 before the likes of Lim Fung Kee, Chow Chee Keong and Yip Chee Keong followed suit.

He is among the footballers who played in the Olympics — in Munich 1972 — the only time Malaysia played in the Games. He played in all three matches — against West Germany (the tournament’s opening match) the USA and Morocco in group stage.

His teammates included Wong Kam Fook, Fung Kee, Othman Abdullah, Namat Abdullah, M. Chandran, Khoo Huan Khen, Hamzah Hussain, Sharuddin Abdullah, Wan Zawawi, V. Krishnasamy, Ibrahim Salleh, Harun Jusoh, Ali Bakar, Mohamad Bakar, Looi Loon Teik, Rahim Abdullah and Bahwandi Hiralal.

Choon Wah, who would have turned 67 on March 31, made his Malaysia Cup debut in 1968, playing for Selangor. The state never lost a Malaysia Cup final when Choon Wah was in the team, winning in 1968, 1969, 1971, 1975 and 1976. He also turned out for MCIS in the local league and FAM Cup.

Known for his precision, defence-splitting passes and total control of the engine room, Malaysia has not seen another player of his calibre since.

It is somewhat fitting that this great footballer galloped out on the first day of the Year of the Horse.

Rest in peace, my dear Ah Tuck. You will always be remembered and talked about at every football function from now on. You may be gone, but your memories will definitely live on.

 

* Choon Wah's remains will be cremated at the KL City Hall (DBKL) Crematorium at Jalan Kuari, Cheras at 1pm today.

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.