Selamat Hari Lahir ke-82, Dato’ N. Thanabalan!
Legasi Lagenda mengucapkan selamat hari lahir yang ke-82 kepada legenda bola sepak negara, Dato’ N. Thanabalan!
Dato’ N. Thanabalan merupakan bintang bola sepak Malaysia pada era 1960-an yang telah mencapai sejumlah 107 kaps. Karier bola sepaknya dengan Malaysia bermula pada usia remaja ketika beliau bersaing di Kejohanan Belia Asia 1960 buat kali pertama. Ia ikuti dengan penyerapan ke dalam skuad senior pada 1963 sehingga beliau bersara pada 1971.
Bersama pasukan kebangsaan, Thanabalan telah mencapai kejayaan yang mengagumkan. Beliau bermain dalam pelbagai kejohanan antarabangsa termasuk Pestabola Merdeka, Sukan SEAP, Piala Raja Thai, Piala Kemerdekaan Vietnam dan Sukan Asia.
Tidak dapat dinafikan bahawa tahun 1968 sangat bermakna bagi pemain lincah ini. Bersama pasukan Selangor di Piala Malaysia, beliau menjaringkan empat gol pada perlawanan akhir yang membantu Selangor membenam pasukan Pulau Pinang 8–1. Rekod ini kekal sebagai jumlah gol terbanyak yang dijaringkan dalam perlawanan akhir Piala Malaysia.
Sebulan kemudian, Thanabalan bersama skuad Malaysia berjaya merampas semula Piala Merdeka selepas lapan tahun. Beliau menjaringkan lapan gol dalam enam perlawanan, termasuk gol terakhir di perlawanan akhir, di mana Malaysia menewaskan Burma 3–0, dan dinamakan Pemain Terbaik (Man of the Match).
Keraian kejayaan Malaysia di pentas akhir terus berlanjut kerana perlawanan tersebut berlangsung sehari sebelum hari perkahwinannya. Itulah semangat padu dan cinta yang ditunjukkan oleh beliau terhadap sukan bola sepak.
Semoga segala pengorbanan dan sumbangan Dato’ N. Thanabalan kepada bola sepak Malaysia sentiasa dikenang oleh generasi muda dan yang akan datang. Kami juga ingin mengucapkan terima kasih secara peribadi atas sokongan beliau terhadap inisiatif Legasi Lagenda selama ini.
Foto (kanan) menunjukkan N. Thanabalan (tengah) beraksi di Kejohanan Belia Asia 1963
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Legasi Lagenda would like to wish national football legend Dato’ N. Thanabalan a happy 82nd birthday!
Dato’ N. Thanabalan was Malaysia’s star in the 1960s with 107 caps under his belt. His football career began in his teenage years when he first represented Malaysia at the 1960 Asian Youth Tournament, followed by his 1963 start with the senior team until he retired in 1971.
Thanbalan had an impressive run with the national team. He played in various international tournaments including the Merdeka Tournament, SEAP Games, King’s Cup, Vietnam Independence Cup and Asian Games.
Undoubtedly, a momentous year in the agile player’s career was 1968. At the Malaysia Cup, Thanablan scored a total of four goals that led to Selangor’s 8–1 victory against Penang in the final. It remains the record for most goals scored in a Malaysia Cup final.
A month later, Thanabalan was part of the Malaysian team that took home the Merdeka Tournament trophy for the first time in eight years. He scored a total of eight goals in six matches, including the last goal in the final round, where Malaysia defeated Burma 3–0.
Subsequently, he was named Man of the Match. Celebrations continued as the Merdeka final was held on the eve of Thanabalan’s wedding, proving his utmost passion for the sport.
We hope that all of his sacrifices and contributions to Malaysian football should always be remembered by younger and future generations. We would also like to personally thank him for his support towards Legasi Lagenda’s initiatives over the years.
Photo (right) shows N. Thanabalan (middle) in action at the 1963 Asian Youth Tournament
