The 2020 Tokyo Olympics closed on Sunday with Azizulhasni Awang’s silver medal for cycling, and badminton players Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik earlier bringing home the bronze.
Indeed, every Malaysian in the Games has made the country proud, making it timely to celebrate the accomplishments of the country’s sportsmen and women.
With this in mind, here’s a throwback to just three of Malaysia’s many athletes who hold a place in people’s hearts for their outstanding contribution to sports.
They have ties to locations in Selangor that you can visit – when pandemic restrictions are lifted – to commemorate their local and international achievements.
1. Mokhtar Dahari – Selangor Football Museum @ Alam Shah Palace, Klang
Mokhtar Dahari, also known as Supermokh, hailed from Selangor and was known for his football skills and strength. He scored 89 goals in 142 international matches and was the best scorer of all time for Malaysia.
Mokhtar had been named by FIFA as the third international top scorer after Ali Daei and Cristiano Ronaldo. He helped Selangor win 10 Malaysia Cup tournaments throughout his career while playing for Selangor FA.
Football fans can visit the Selangor Football Museum at Istana Alam Shah in Klang to view Mokhtar’s football jersey and remember his contributions, as well as explore the history and personal collection of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.
2. Arumugam Rengasamy – Datuk R Arumugam Mini Stadium, Klang
Arumugam Rengasamy was also a football legend from Selangor who was given the nickname “Spiderman”.
He helped the Malaysian national football team win the bronze in the 1974 Asian Games in Tehran which, to this day, is still considered the biggest achievement in the history of national football.
He also helped Malaysia defeat South Korea 2-1 to qualify for the Moscow Olympics in 1980.
In 2018, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and the Klang Municipal Council changed the name of Stadium Jalan Pekeliling in Port Klang to the Datuk R Arumugam Mini Stadium.
It is open to the public. Youths, in particular, may be inspired by Arumugam’s story.
3. The Sidek Brothers – Badminton Monument, Banting
The siblings – the title characters of the animated series and comic book “Anak-Anak Sidek” – were trained by their father, Datuk Haji Sidek Abdullah Kamar, in front of their house in Banting.
Misbun, Jalani, Razif, Rashid and Rahman Sidek participated in various prestigious badminton tournaments including the SEA Games, World Badminton Grand Prix, the Thomas Cup, and the All-England Open Badminton Championships.
In 1985, the siblings played in the Hong Kong Open, making them the largest family to represent the country on the international stage.
Badminton fans can visit the Sidek brothers’ Badminton Monument located in Banting within the compound of their late father’s house. It was built to commemorate the family for their contributions to the sport both domestically and globally.
This article was produced by Tourism Selangor, Selangor state’s official tourism agency, which works to promote the state in the eyes of travellers near and far. Log on to Tourism Selangor’s official website to plan your future travels.