MALAYA: JUARA TIGA KEJOHANAN PERTAMA PIALA THOMAS
Pada tahun 1939, Sir George Thomas, selaku Presiden Persekutuan Badminton Antarabangsa (IBF, kini BWF) melontarkan idea untuk mengadakan kejohanan antarabangsa Piala Thomas semasa mesyuarat jawatankuasa IBF. Namun, kejohanan berprestij itu tidak dapat direalisasikan sehingga sedekad kemudian pada tahun 1949 akibat Perang Dunia II.
Anggota-anggota IBF ketika itu – Kanada, Amerika Syarikat, Sweden, Denmark, England dan Malaya – dijemput untuk bertanding mengikut zon kelayakan Pan Amerika, Eropah, dan Pasifik. Malaya, sebagai satu-satunya negara di Zon Pasifik, mula bermain pada peringkat kalah mati, di mana mereka bertemu pasukan Amerika Syarikat. Malaya berjaya menewaskan Amerika Syarikat 6–3 untuk berdepan dengan Denmark di pusingan akhir, yang berlangsung di England.
Bintang dari Singapura, Wong Peng Soon, terpaksa menarik diri sebelum perlawanan akhir kerana kecederaan bahu. Law Teik Hock dinaikkan sebagai pemain perseorangan pertama menggantikan Wong Peng Soon manakala Ong Poh Lim yang baru menjuarai kejohanan Terbuka Ireland dibawa masuk untuk melengkapkan barisan pemain. Malaya dinobatkan sebagai juara pertama Piala Thomas setelah mengalahkan pasukan Denmark 8–1.
Pada edisi kedua, skuad Malaya 1952 mempersembahkan wajah baharu seperti Abdullah Piruz dan Ismail Marjan. Sebagai juara bertahan, Malaya terus mara ke pusingan akhir ataupun “Challenge Round” yang diadakan di Singapura dan berjaya menewaskan Amerika Syarikat 7–2 untuk mempertahankan kejuaraan.
Pada tahun 1955, pasukan Malaya berjaya mengulangi kemenangan edisi pertama mereka dengan mengalahkan Denmark 8–1 sekali lagi pada pusingan akhir di Singapura. Ong Poh Lim memastikan kejuaraan Malaya apabila beliau menumpaskan Ole Jensen 15-10, 15-8 untuk meningkatkan skor mereka kepada 5–0. Edisi tersebut menyaksikan permulaan era legenda badminton Eddy Choong, yang membuat penampilan sulung Piala Thomas beliau. Malah ia juga menandakan pengakhiran karier kapten Wong Peng Soon yang begitu gemilang apabila beliau mengumumkan persaraan beliau sebulan kemudian.
SKUAD 1949: Teoh Seng Khoon, Chan Kon Leong, Ooi Teik Hock, Law Teik Hock, Wong Peng Soon, Yeoh Teck Chye
SKUAD 1952: Ooi Teik Hock, Ong Poh Lim, Chan Kon Leong, Abdullah Piruz, Ismail Marjan, Wong Peng Soon
SKUAD 1955: Wong Peng Soon, Eddy Choong, Ong Poh Lim, Ooi Teik Hock, Lim Kee Fong, Tan Jin Eong
Nantikan posting kami yang selanjutnya yang akan mendalami perjalanan skuad Malaya di Piala Thomas 1955.
Sementara itu, ikutilah kisah perjuangan Malaya di edisi 1949 dan 1952 melalui pautan ini https://legasilagenda.com/tag/thomas-cup/
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Malaya: Champions of First Three Editions of the Thomas Cup
The idea of the Thomas Cup was suggested by Sir George Thomas, President of the International Badminton Federation (IBF, now known as BWF) in 1939 during a committee meeting. The prestigious tournament would not come to fruition until a decade later in 1949 due to World War II.
IBF members at the time were invited to compete including Canada, USA, Sweden, Denmark, England and Malaya. The qualifying zones were Pan American, Europe and the Pacific. Malaya, as the only nation in the Pacific Zone, advanced to the knockout stage, where they met the United States of America, and defeated them 6–3. Awaiting them at the final round in England was Denmark.
Singaporean superstar Wong Peng Soon had to sit out the final matches due to a shoulder injury, with Law Teik Hock taking over his matches, while newly crowned Irish Open champion Ong Poh Lim joined the team. Malaya were crowned as the inaugural champions of the Thomas Cup after defeating Denmark 8–1.
The 1952 squad brought in fresh faces such as Abdullah Piruz and Ismail Marjan. As defending champions, Malaya went through straight to the final round, also known as the “Challenge round”, which was held in Singapore. Malaya held on to the trophy after defeating USA 7–2.
In 1955, Malaya repeated their first victory by defeating Denmark 8–1 in the final round once again in Singapore. Ong Poh Lim secured their win by defeating Ole Jensen 15-10, 15-8, upping their overnight lead to 5–0. While this edition saw the rise of badminton legend Eddy Choong making Thomas Cup debut, it also marked the end of captain Wong Peng Soon’s glorious career, as he announced his retirement a month later.
Stay tuned as we delve deeper into Malaya’s journey at the 1955 Thomas Cup.
