KULA LUMPUR: It is the time of the year to look back at Malaysia's best sports performers in the past 12 months. There are many outstanding athletes, but the world conquering performance of men's badminton doubles Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik captures the imagination.
MOST OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL ATHLETES
LEE ZII JIA (BADMINTON)
Zii Jia started the year controversially by announcing his decision to leave the BA of Malaysia.
The 24-year-old, however, proved his unusual move was right after achieving back-to-back wins at the Thailand Open and Asian Championship. He moved up to the World No 2 ranking by October.
ANIQ KASDAN (WEIGHTLIFTING)
Aniq, who claimed a historic silver at the Tashkent World Championships (2021), was on our Most Promising Athletes list last year. And he has lived up to expectations this year.
The 20-year-old claimed bronze in the under-55kg class at the Hanoi Sea Games and followed up with gold at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, setting a new meet record (clean and jerk) in the process.
Aniq also broke the clean and jerk Asian under-21 record en route to silver at the Asian Championships in Bahrain.
JUFFERI JAMARI (PENCAK SILAT)
Despite a badly injured shoulder, Jufferi, 30, battled his way to a commendable bronze at the Hanoi Sea Games.
Though not fully recovered from his injury, Jufferi was still able to clinch his fourth world title at the World Championships in Melaka in August. He announced his retirement from the sport after the win.
LIM KOK LEONG (SNOOKER)
Kok Leong, 27, had an outstanding year, winning one gold and one silver at the Hanoi Sea Games and ending the season with two world titles, the individual and team event (with Moh Keen Hoo).
Kok Leong's victory in Antalya (in November) was the first individual world title by a Malaysian.
NG JOE EE (RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS)
Joe Ee, 17, showed glimpses of her potential by claiming silver in the individual all-around at the Hanoi Sea Games in May.
Three months later, she made a stunning debut at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games where she won two gold (ball, ribbon) which allowed Malaysia to achieve its gold medal target.
SYARUL AZMAN MAHEN ABDULLAH (BODYBUILDING)
Syarul's four-year reign as world champion came to an end last year but he came back with a vengeance this season.
In May, the 49-year-old clinched a long-awaited gold at the Hanoi Sea Games - the sport is rarely part of the biennial games - and secured his fifth world title at the World Bodybuilding and Physique Championships in Phuket six months later.
MOST OUTSTANDING TEAMS OR PAIRS
AARON CHIA-SOH WOOI YIK (BADMINTON)
Men's doubles pair Aaron-Wooi Yik upset higher ranked Indonesians Mohd Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan in the final at the Tokyo World Championships in August.
It was a historic moment as no Malaysians, singles or doubles, had ever won a world title in the past.
JOHOR DARUL TA'ZIM (FOOTBALL)
JDT had an all-conquering season on the domestic front, becoming the first team to achieve the quadruple after winning Charity Shield, FA Cup, Malaysia Cup and Super League. It was their ninth consecutive Super League title.
The Southern Tigers also became the first Malaysian side to reach the knockout stages of the Asian Champions League after topping their group.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM
Harimau Malaya gave their fans much to cheer about after qualifying on merit for the Asian Cup for the first time in over 40 years.
The last time Malaysia had done so was for the 1980 Kuwait edition. The national squad competed in the event in 2007 when Malaysia co-hosted it alongside Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
NATIONAL HOCKEY TEAM
The Speedy Tigers created history by winning the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup for the first time this year after defeating defending champions South Korea 3-2 in the final last month.
Malaysia ended a 39-year wait for the title after reaching the final in 1985, 2007, 2009, 2013 and 2014.
MOH KEEN HOO-LIM KOK LEONG (SNOOKER)
Stalwart Keen Hoo and his long-time understudy Kok Leong emerged victorious at the World Amateur Team Snooker Championships in October in Kuala Lumpur.
It was their second world title together after winning it in Karachi in 2015.
NATIONAL WOMEN'S TENPIN BOWLING TEAM
The quartet of Natasha Roslan, Sin Li Jane, Esther Cheah and Siti Safiyah Amirah Abdul Rahman got a hard-earned bronze at the World Cup in Queensland last month.
It was a tough, mentally draining tournament played out over two weeks amongst the best players in the world.
MOST PROMISING ATHLETES
AZEEM FAHMI
Azeem set a new national record in the 100m sprint after clocking 10.09 seconds at the Under-20 World Championships in Colombia in August, which bettered the 10.18s set by Khairul Hafiz Jantan in 2016.
The 18-year-old also set a new national under-20 200m record after clocking 20.83s at the same meet. Billed as Malaysia's next big star in athletics, Azeem is set to study and train in the United States next year.
AMIR DANIEL ABDUL MAJEED (JUDO)
Amir did well to win bronze in the men's 73kg division at the Hanoi Sea Games before going on to achieve a historic bronze in the same weight class at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
The Commonwealth achievement of the 18-year-old shows that Malaysia has a judo star in the making.
NURUL IZZAH IZZATI MOHD ASRI (TRACK CYCLING)
Izzah was a virtual unknown at the start of the year but stole the show by scalping senior Anis Amira Rosidi in the women's individual sprint final at the National Championships (May) in Nilai.
The 19-year-old went on to create history at the Asian Championships in New Delhi (June) where she became the first Malaysian woman to win the 500m time trial.
AHMAD AZRIQ IZAMUDIN AND ALYAA ADDINI ZULAMRI (TENPIN BOWLING)
Azriq, 19, and Alyaa, 21, both won silver in the men's and women's singles at the under-21 World Championships in Sweden.
The duo possess good technique and fighting spirit, and have been earmarked as Malaysia's next generation of top bowlers.
HAKIM DANISH RAMLI (MOTORCYCLE RACING)
Hakim has been branded as a top talent for the future since bursting onto the stage in 2020 and has certainly lived up to that billing this year.
The 15-year-old became the first Malaysian rider to win the Asia Talent Cup this year and also did well to place seventh overall in the much-tougher European Talent Cup. It would not be a surprise to see him make the step up to Moto3 in 2025.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
AZNIL BIDIN (WEIGHTLIFTING)
Aznil showed maturity to break the national record en route to the Under-61kg silver at the Hanoi Sea Games where the weightlifting standard is really high.
He also set a new games record in retaining his gold medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
NUR DHABITAH SABRI (DIVING)
Versatile Dhabitah, 23, is maturing well as a diver and has the results to prove it. She easily won the 1m springboard individual gold at the Hanoi Sea Games in May.
Two months later at the Budapest World Championships in July, Dhabitah claimed bronze in the 10m platform synchronised with Pandelela Rinong. Next, she bagged two silver at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in the 3m springboard individual and synchronised (with Wendy Ng).
SHAH FIRDAUS SAHROM (TRACK CYCLING)
Seen as the heir-apparent to Azizulhasni Awang, Shah Firdaus Sahrom, 27, won the keirin bronze at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in August and was unlucky to miss out on a medal in the individual sprint (he lost to eventual winner Matthew Richardson in three during the quarterfinals).
BONNIE BUNYAU GUSTIN (PARA POWERLIFTING)
Despite nursing a shoulder injury, Bonnie was still able to deliver gold at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and even set a new meet record.
The world and Paralympic champion has dominated the tnder-72kg category in recent years.
UNDERACHIEVERS
PETANQUE SQUAD
National coach Zani Lisa Mohamed targeted his charges to win between two and four gold at the Hanoi Sea Games but they came back with only one silver and two bronze. It was the first time Malaysia failed to win a gold from the sport since Myanmar 2013.
SWIMMING SQUAD
Malaysia's swimmers fell further behind their regional counterparts and won only one gold at the Hanoi Sea Games, the lowest in over a decade.
Only Khiew Hoe Yean, who delivered the nation's only gold in Hanoi, has shown the ability to challenge swimmers from Vietnam and Singapore who now dominate the sport in Southeast Asia.
DEATH: SPORTS PERSONALITIES
SHEBBY SINGH
Former national footballer and television pundit died in January after suffering a heart attack when he was cycling. He was 61.
Shebby represented Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Pahang, Negri Sembilan and Perak during his playing days and was well known for his straight-talking views as a pundit.
WILFRED VIAS
Hockey legend Wilfred died at the age of 93 in June. He captained the national side in the 1950s and was part of the squad that played in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
He had also served as National Sports Council director-general, secretary for the Johor and Negri Sembilan Hockey associations.
DATUK NG BOON BEE
Ng was a multi-talented athlete who represented Malaysia in rugby, football and badminton. He died in August at the age of 84.
Best known for his badminton prowess, he was part of the national squad that won the 1967 Thomas Cup in Jakarta.
DATUK GAN BOON LEONG
Seen as the father of Malaysian bodybuilding, Gan died at the age of 84 in August.
A former Mr Malaysia, Mr Asia and Mr Universe, he went on to serve as the president of the Malaysian Bodybuilding Federation and the Malaysian Weightlifting Federation.
S. SABAPATHY
Former national sprinter Sabapathy died on Dec 14 at the age of 75. He was part of the 4x400m Malaysian relay team that competed in the 1972 Munich Olympics.
At the 1973 Singapore SEAP Games, he struck gold in the 4x400m relay, won silver behind Thai legend Anat Ratanapol in the 200m, and took bronze in the 4x100m relay.
Sabapathy later became a coach and an executive member of the National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb) from 2009-2016.
He played a key role in driving Yakeb's membership and the welfare of ex-national athletes.
DATUK SIEH KOK CHI
Legendary sports administrator Sieh died in July at the age of 83. He was a former national water polo player and went on to become honorary secretary of the Amateur Swimming Union of Malaysia.
Best known for his work with the Olympic Council of Malaysia, he was the umbrella body's honorary secretary between 1992-2015.
Other prominent sports figures who died this year were Malaysia Snooker and Billiards Federation founder Datuk W. Y. Chin, Malaysia's first Olympic fencer Ronnie Theseira, former national hockey players Yahya Atan and S. Sivabalan, national middle distance runner R. Subramaniam, national long distance runner A. Ramasamy, gymnastics administrator N. Shanmugarajah, sports journalists Husin Abdul Rahman and Satwant Singh Dhaliwal.