GOLD COAST: The Commonwealth Games officially begins tomorrow (Wednesday) with the opening ceremony, and it is the second largest sporting event in the world after the Olympic Games, involving the participation of 71 countries that are former British colonies or previously under British rule.
Malaysia are taking part in the Games for the 16th time, and this is the 20th edition which will be held in Gold Coast, Australia. The first Commonwealth Games was held in 1930 in Edmonton, Ontario, Canada. Malaysia’s first participation in the Games was in 1950, in Auckland, New Zealand, and back then the national contingent was known as the Malaya contingent, while the Games was called the British Empire Games.
Here are 9 interesting facts on the national contingent’s participation in the Commonwealth Games:
1. Tho Fook Hung who was given the nickname ‘toy battleship’ by other fellow weightlifters because of his extraordinary strength, was the first Malaysian athlete to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. Competing under the Malayan flag at the time, Fook Hung, a jewelry salesman, won the bantamweight event at the 1950 edition held in Auckland, New Zealand.
2. Badminton has contributed the most medals for the national contingent at the Commonwealth Games with 27 gold, 20 silver and 12 bronze since the 1966 edition of the Games in Kingston, Jamaica, followed by weightlifting (10 gold, 8 silver and 17 bronze) and shooting (3 gold, 10 silver and 13 bronze).
3. Former national doubles player, Koo Kien Keat is the country’s most successful athlete in the Commonwealth Games with five gold medals won at the 2006 (Melbourne) and 2010 (New Delhi) editions.
4. Malaysia became hosts of the Commonwealth Games for the first time in 1998. The national contingent did the country proud by finishing fourth overall with 10 gold, 14 silver and 12 bronze medals.
5. G. Saravanan is a national athlete who won gold in athletics at the Commonwealth Games when he triumphed in the 50 kilometer walk event during the Kuala Lumpur edition in 1998.
6. Sapok Biki is a national boxer who won gold in boxing during the Kuala Lumpur edition as well when he emerged tops in the light flyweight class.
7. Former national cyclist Josiah Ng is another athlete to win a rare gold at the Commonwealth Games in his event when he struck gold in the keirin event at the New Delhi edition in 2010.
8. Malaysia’s best achievement in the Commonwealth Games was also at the New Delhi edition as the national contingent finished with 12 gold, 10 silver and 14 bronze medals overall.
9. Malaysia have the unenviable record for suffering the biggest loss in women’s hockey at the Commonwealth Games when they were handed a 18-0 hiding by Australia at the Manchester edition in 2002.