KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 12 ― Former world track cycling champion Mohd Azizulhasni Awang and rhythmic gymnast Amy Kwan Dict Weng were today declared the male and female Olympians of the Year 2018 at the 25th Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) Annual Dinner and Awards Night.
They each received RM10,000 cash and special medals from Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail at a ceremony here.
Also present were Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and OCM president Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria.
The 30-year-old Azizul, who is also known as the “Pocket Rocketman”, displayed outstanding performances to bag three medals at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games – winning gold in sprint, silver in men’s team sprint and bronze in keirin.
Amy, 23, returned with four medals from the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games ― gold in individual ribbon, silver in women’s team event and two bronze medals in individual all-around and hoop.
Azizul and Amy are the third cyclist and gymnast respectively to win the award since its introduction in 1993.
The previous two cyclists to win the award were Josiah Ng (2004) and Fatehah Mustapa (2017) while the two gymnasts were Au Li Yen (1997 and Ng Shu Wai (2005).
The award is to honour the most outstanding male and female athletes who participated in multi-sports Games under OCM’s jurisdiction, such as the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and SEA Games.
Meanwhile, girls’ singles shuttler Goh Jin Wei and the boys’ five-a-side hockey team, who both won the country’s historic gold medals at the third Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Buenos Aires, Argentina were presented with the OCM Special Awards.
The feats were also recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records, with Jin Wei listed as the first Malaysian to win a gold at the YOG in an individual sport and the hockey squad for the team event.
Syed Saddiq presented Jin Wei with RM10,000 cash and a special trophy as well as RM18,000 (RM2,000 x 9 players) and a special trophy to the hockey squad. B
Jin Wei and the hockey squad also received Malaysia Book of Record certificates from its chief operating officer Christopher Wong Hong Wai.
The ceremony also saw 1998 Commonwealth Games gold medallists ― the men’s badminton team (Wong Choong Hann, Ong Ewe Hock, Yong Hock Kin, Yap Kim Hock, Cheah Soon Kit, Chong Tan Fook & Lee Wan Wah) and rhythmic gymnastics team (Carolyn Au Yong, El Reginal Tajudin, Thye Chee Kiat & Sarina Sundara Rajah) ― inducted into the OCM Hall of Fame.
Two officials ― former OCM president Tunku Tan Sri Imran Tuanku Ja’afar and 1998 Commonwealth Games executive chairman Tan Sri Mohamed Hashim Mohd Ali ― were also inducted into the Hall of the Fame.
This year’s International Olympic Committee (IOC) Trophy, with the theme “Olympism in Action”, was awarded to the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) while Malaysia Ice Hockey Federation vice-president Susan Loh Su Fang bagged the Women and Sport award.
Full list of winners:
OCM Hall of Fame
Retired Officials:
1. Tunku Tan Sri Imran Tuanku Ja’afar (OCM)
2. Tan Sri Mohamed Hashim Mohd Ali (SUKOM 98)
Retired Athletes:
1. Men’s Badminton Team 1998 Commonwealth Games
― Wong Choong Hann
― Ong Ewe Hock
― Yong Hock Kin
― Yap Kim Hock and Cheah Soon Kit
― Chong Tan Fook
― Lee Wan Wah
4. Rhythmic Gymnastics Women’s Team 1998 Commonwealth Games
― Carolyn Au Yong
― El Reginal Tajudin
― Thye Chee Kiat
― Sarina Sundara Rajah
OCM Women and Sports Award
Susan Loh Su Fang (Vice-President of the Malaysia Ice hockey Federation)
OCM Special Awards
1. Goh Jin Wei
2. National Youth Hockey 5s Team
IOC Trophy
Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM)
Olympian of the Year Award
Male: Mohd Azizulhasni Awang
Female: Amy Kwan Dict Weng ― Bernama
