Wong Peng Soon

Summary

Wong Peng Soon, MBE SK (simplified Chinese: 黄秉璇; traditional Chinese: 黃秉璇; pinyin: Huáng Bǐng Xuán; 17 February 1917 – 22 May 1996) was a Malayan/Singaporean badminton player who reigned as a top player in Malaya from the 1930s to the 1950s when it was a single nation. Noted for his smooth but powerful strokes and graceful footwork,[4] he won the singles title seven times in Singapore and eight times in Malaya during this period, as well as being the top player in the All England, the Danish Open, the Indian and Philippines championships to name a few.

Wong Peng Soon
黄秉璇
MBE SK
Wong Peng Soon in 1947
Personal information
Nickname(s)Great Wong[1]
CountryMalaya
Singapore
Born(1917-02-17)17 February 1917[2]
Johor Bahru, Malaya
Died22 May 1996(1996-05-22) (aged 79)[3]
Singapore
HandednessRight
Medal record
Men's badminton
Representing  Malaya
Thomas Cup
Gold medal – first place 1949 Preston Team
Gold medal – first place 1952 Singapore Team
Gold medal – first place 1955 Singapore Team

Acknowledged as one of the greatest badminton players of all time,[1][5] he won the All England singles title four times in only five attempts and dominated the Thomas Cup in the late 1940s to the mid 1950s as a member of the Malayan teams.[1] Wong's great rival during his career was his contemporary Ong Poh Lim.[6]

Early life edit

Wong was born into a large and wealthy family in Johor Bahru, Malaya. He was the seventh son of Mr Wong Ah Yam and Madam Mak Qui Tong. His granduncle is Wong Ah Fook,[7] who was a good friend of Sultan Abu Bakar and was the contractor responsible for the construction of Istana Besar. Wong has nine brothers and seven sisters. Of his siblings, five brothers and a sister were also prominent Johore badminton players.[8] The family stayed in a mansion at Jalan Ah Siang, Johor Bahru.

Badminton career edit

Having grown up in a family with a love for badminton, Wong started playing the sport since young. His career began when he joined Mayflower Badminton Party[9] in Singapore as a teenager, and went on to win numerous club and interstate competitions. He excelled in the singles event and quickly rose to become a household name in Singapore and Malaya.

In 1938, Wong won his first Singapore Open singles title and went on to win the tournament six more times in 1939, 1941, 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1951.[1] In addition to his singles success, he also secured four men's doubles titles in 1938 with Chan Chim Bock,[10] in 1947 with Wong Chong Teck,[11] and in 1948 and 1949 with Teoh Peng Hooi.[12][13] Additionally, he teamed up with his sister, Waileen Wong to claim three mixed doubles titles in 1939,[14] 1948[15] and 1949.[16] With a total of 14 combined titles, Wong was the second most successful male shuttler in the competition's history, trailing only behind rival, Ong Poh Lim.

Wong captured his first two Malaysia Open singles titles in 1940[17] and 1941[18] before a hiatus due to World War II interrupted his career until 1947, when he reclaimed the crown.[19] He then went on an impressive streak, winning five consecutive titles from 1949 to 1953.[20] His eight Malaysian singles titles were also a long-standing international circuit record jointly held by the legendary Rudy Hartono (eight-time All England champion) and Morten Frost (eight-time Denmark Open champion) till it was surpassed by Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in 2013.[21] Wong also triumphed in three mixed doubles events in 1937 and 1938 with his sister, Waileen Wong,[22][23] and in 1940 with Lee Chee Neo.[17]

In 1950, he became the first Asian to win the All-England men's singles championship, and won the title again in 1951, 1952, and 1955, earning him an international reputation as the "Great Wong".[24][25] He was also a member of the victorious Malayan Thomas Cup teams of 1949, 1952, and 1955,[26] serving as captain of the last.[2][27] His achievements in 1955 were remarkable because he was 38 years old at the time, an age by which most badminton players were considered past their prime.[28]

Wong also won the Surrey Open men's doubles title alongside Englishman Noel Radford,[29] and both the men's singles and doubles titles at the Scotland championships, again with Radford in 1950.[30] Additionally, he claimed the Denmark Open men's singles title in 1951,[31] and triumphed in the Bombay Open men's singles and doubles events with Abdullah Piruz in the same year.[32][33] Wong also secured the men's singles title at the Selangor Open,[34] along with winning both the men's singles and doubles titles at the Philippines Open with Cheong Hock Leng in 1952.[35]

Wong retired from competitive badminton after the 1955 Thomas Cup.[36] He became a badminton coach for the Singapore Youth Sports Centre.[37] He also coached the Malayan team in its bid to retain the Thomas Cup in 1958, when Malaya lost the title to Indonesia.[38] Wong later took up coaching stints in Thailand, Canada, India and Japan, as well as at the Haarlem Badminton Club of Holland in 1966.[39]

Professionalism edit

Wong was an advocate of strong work ethic, physical fitness, and mental preparation. He will cycle from Johor to Singapore just for training even though it was many kilometers away.[7][40] He was a disciplinarian who adhered to a routine of rigorous training that included sessions of skipping lasting more than an hour.[41] Wong always studied his opponents before playing against them.[1] He was renowned for maintaining a strict diet and he never stayed out late in the evening.[1][40] He was also known for his meticulous care of his equipment, often going to the extent of personally stringing and fixing his own rackets.[1][42]

Personal life edit

Wong married Doreen Poi Chim Neo at a church in Seremban on 3 August 1947[43] and moved to Singapore shortly after.[1] They lived at a single-storey home in Jalan Jarak, Seletar Hills[40] and had two daughters and a son.[1]

In 1981, Wong suffered a stroke which left him partially paralysed. Although he regained mobility, his health slowly declined thereafter.[44]

Death edit

Wong died on 22 May 1996 at Toa Payoh Hospital, Singapore, at the age of 79, due to pneumonia.[3] His wake was attended by the officials from Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) as well as then Minister for Community Development, Abdullah Tarmugi.[45] A one-hour Mass was also held at the Church of St Vincent de Paul where Wong had worshipped. More than 150 relatives and friends gathered to bid a final farewell to Wong at the Mount Vernon Crematorium where he was cremated.[46]

Honours and awards edit

In the 1956 New Year Honours, Wong's contribution to the sport was recognised when he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) "for services to sport in the Federation of Malaya".[47][48] In 1962, he made local history as the first and still the only sportsperson to date to be awarded the Sijil Kemuliaan (Certificate of Honour) by the Government of Singapore.[49]

In 1985, the International Badminton Federation (IBF) awarded Wong the Distinguished Services Award for his services to the sport.[50][51] In 1986, Wong was inducted into the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) Sports Museum Hall of Fame.[52]

Three years after his death, the International Badminton Federation (IBF) inducted him into its Hall of Fame posthumously in May 1999.[53] Then chairman of the IBF, H R Ward, commented, that "Wong was one of the most remarkable players" and "had enhanced the sport through exceptional achievements". In a Straits Times poll of 2000, Wong was voted as Singapore's "Sports Personality of the Century".[54] The Olympic Council of Malaysia inducted Wong into its Hall of Fame in 2004.[55]

Achievements edit

Tournaments edit

Men's singles

Year Tournament Opponent Score Result Ref
1938 Malaysia Open   Tan Chong Tee 2–15, 15–9, 11–15   Runner-up [23]
1938 Singapore Open   Seah Eng Hee 7–15, 15–10, 15–3   Winner [56]
1939 Singapore Open   S. A. Durai 15–6, 15–11   Winner [57]
1940 Malaysia Open   Ooi Teik Hock 15–1, 15–7   Winner [17]
1941 Malaysia Open   S. A. Durai 15–3, 15–3   Winner [18]
1941 Singapore Open   Yap Chin Tee 15–10, 5–15, 15–11   Winner [58]
1947 Malaysia Open   Lim Kee Fong 15–8, 15–12   Winner [19]
1947 Singapore Open   Ismail Marjan 15–9, 15–6   Winner [59]
1948 Singapore Open   Ong Poh Lim 15–9, 15–11   Winner [60]
1949 Malaysia Open   Ooi Teik Hock 15–6, 15–10   Winner [61]
1949 Singapore Open   Loong Pan Yap 15–3, 15–4   Winner [62]
1950 All England   Poul Holm 15–7, 15-10   Winner [63]
1950 Malaysia Open   Ooi Teik Hock 15–13, 15–4   Winner [64]
1950 North Scotland Open   Noel Radford 15–4, 15–5   Winner [30]
1950 Singapore Open   Cheong Hock Leng 5–15, 15–9, 12–15   Runner-up [65]
1951 All England   Ong Poh Lim 15–18, 18–14, 15–7   Winner [66]
1951 Bombay Open   Devinder Mohan 15–11, 15–4   Winner [32]
1951 Denmark Open   Eddy Choong 15–8, 15–5   Winner [67]
1951 French Open   Ong Poh Lim 9–15, 8–15   Runner-up [68]
1951 Malaysia Open   Law Teik Hock 15–3, 15–6   Winner [69]
1951 Singapore Open   Ong Poh Lim 18–13, 15–8   Winner [70]
1952 All England   Eddy Choong 15–11, 18–13   Winner [71]
1952 Malaysia Open   Abdullah Priuz 15–8, retired   Winner [72]
1952 Philippines Open   Cheong Hock Leng 15–3, 15–3   Winner [35]
1952 Selangor Open   Cheong Hock Leng 15–2, 15–3   Winner [34]
1953 Malaysia Open   Lim Koon Yam 15–5, 15–3   Winner [73]
1954 Singapore Open   Ong Poh Lim 15–9, 10–15, 16–17   Runner-up [74]
1955 All England   Eddy Choong 15–7, 14–17, 15–10   Winner [75]
1955 Manchester Open   Eddy Choong 8–15, 5–15   Runner-up [76]
1955 Selangor Open   Eddy Choong 7–15, 15–7, 16–17   Runner-up [77]

Men's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result Ref
1936 Singapore Open   Chan Chim Bock   Seah Eng Hee
  Tan Chong Tee
21–16, 21–23, 13–21   Runner-up [78]
1937 Malaysia Open   Chan Chim Bock   A. S. Samuel
  Chan Kon Leong
23–20, 18–21, 15–21   Runner-up [79]
1937 Singapore Open   Chan Chim Bock   Seah Eng Hee
  Tan Chong Tee
21–4, 22–23, 20–24   Runner-up [80]
1938 Singapore Open   Chan Chim Bock   Wee Boon Hai
  Wong Chong Teck
16–21, 21–8, 21–17   Winner [10]
1939 Singapore Open   Wong Peng Nam   Wee Boon Hai
  Wong Chong Teck
7–21, 21–8, 15–21   Runner-up [81]
1941 Singapore Open   Wong Peng Nam   Wee Boon Hai
  Wong Chong Teck
9–21, 11–21   Runner-up [58]
1947 Singapore Open   Wong Chong Teck   George Chen
  Yap Chin Tee
17–14, 15–6   Winner [11]
1948 Singapore Open   Teoh Peng Hooi   Ong Poh Lim
  Tan Chong Tee
15–8, 17–15   Winner [12]
1949 Singapore Open   Teoh Peng Hooi   Sng Haw Pah
  Quek Keng Chuan
15–8, 15–4   Winner [13]
1950 North Scotland Open   Noel Radford   D. Green
  T. Majury
15–8, 15–9   Winner [30]
1950 Singapore Open   Teoh Peng Hooi   Ismail Marjan
  Ong Poh Lim
12–15, 9–15   Runner-up [82]
1950 Surrey Open   Noel Radford   H. J. Wingfield
  W. C. Shute
15–8, 15–2   Winner [29]
1951 Bombay Open   Abdullah Priuz   Devinder Mohan
  Henry Ferreira
15–12, 15–9   Winner [33]
1951 Hull Open   Noel Radford   Ismail Marjan
  Ong Poh Lim
16–18, 12–15   Runner-up [83]
1951 Surrey Open   Noel Radford   Ismail Marjan
  Ong Poh Lim
2–15, 12–15   Runner-up [84]
1952 Philippines Open   Cheong Hock Leng   Francisco Santos
  M. Yanga
15–5, 15–2   Winner [35]
1954 Singapore Open   Teoh Peng Hooi   Ismail Marjan
  Ong Poh Lim
6–15, 10–15   Runner-up [85]

Mixed doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result Ref
1937 Malaysia Open   Waileen Wong   Koh Keng Siang
  Alice Pennefather
21–11, 21–12   Winner [79]
1938 Malaysia Open   Waileen Wong   A. S. Samuel
  Ida Lim
20–23, 21–11, 21–7   Winner [23]
1939 Singapore Open   Waileen Wong   Tan Chong Tee
  Lee Shao Meng
21–12, 21–3   Winner [14]
1940 Malaysia Open   Lee Chee Neo   Ooi Teik Hock
  Cecilia Chan
15–9, 15–11   Winner [17]
1948 Singapore Open   Waileen Wong   Ong Poh Lim
  Helen Heng
15–5, 15–8   Winner [15]
1949 Singapore Open   Waileen Wong   Quek Keng Chuan
  Ong Heng Kwee
15–3, 15–6   Winner [16]

References edit

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  2. ^ a b Low, Jeffrey (17 February 1985). "Cheers to you, champ". The Straits Times. p. 24.
  3. ^ a b Dorai, Joe (23 May 1996). "Wong Peng Soon, 78, dies of pneumonia". The Straits Times. p. 3.
  4. ^ Pat Davis, The Guinness Book of Badminton (Enfield, Middlesex, England: Guinness Superlatives Ltd., 1983) 159.
  5. ^ "Peng Soon Is The Greatest". Singapore Standard. 8 June 1955. p. 6.
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  13. ^ a b "Peng Soon, Peng Hooi Retain Title". The Straits Times. 14 December 1949. p. 12.
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  45. ^ "Abdullah: Another Peng Soon?". The Straits Times. 25 May 1996. p. 40.
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  52. ^ "World-class sportsmen win top spot in Hall of Fame". The Straits Times. 3 August 1986.
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  82. ^ "Peng Soon Beaten in Doubles". The Straits Times. 21 January 1951. p. 14. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  83. ^ "Ong and Marjan Win Title". The Singapore Free Press. 2 April 1951. p. 7. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  84. ^ "Poh Lim and Marjan Win Final". The Straits Times. 5 March 1951. p. 8. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  85. ^ "Ong Poh Lim makes badminton history". The Straits Times. 17 January 1955. p. 11. Retrieved 2 March 2024.

External links edit