Pesta Sukan Hari Malaysia 1963 #SukanSatukanMalaysia
Seramai 1000 lebih peserta dijemput dari seluruh Malaysia untuk mengambil bahagian di Pesta Sukan Hari Malaysia 1963 yang diadakan di Kuala Lumpur. Secara rasminya, ia merupakan kali pertama atlet-atlet dari Sarawak, Sabah, Singapura dan Semenanjung Malaysia berkumpul untuk kejohanan sukan nasional. Semua atlet dan pegawai diberi penginapan, pengangkutan dan keperluan lain secara percuma di “Games Village”, seolah-olah menangkap suasana Sukan Olimpik.
Hoki merupakan kejohanan utama temasya tersebut. Acara yang berlangsung selama 11 hari itu akan menentukan calon-calon yang akan menyertai skuad latihan negara untuk Sukan Olimpik 1964, di mana negara Malaysia sudah pun layak.
Semangat bola sepak kekal tinggi kerana perlawanan separuh akhir Piala Malaya 1963 turut diadakan pada minggu yang sama. Pulau Pinang menang 3-2 secara agregat menentang Singapura, manakala Selangor menang 9-4 secara agregat menentang Melaka.
Selepas itu, pada bulan yang sama, Selangor menewaskan Pulau Pinang 6-4 pada perlawanan akhir dengan empat gol dari Abdul Ghani Minhat dan dua oleh Arthur Koh dan Stanley Gabrielle. Dua gol Pulau Pinang dijaringkan oleh M. Kupan dan Pang Siang Hock.
Skuad Piala Thomas terlepas meraikan Hari Malaysia kerana pada masa itu, mereka berada di New Zealand untuk perlawanan zon Australasia. Namun, peminat-peminat masih terhibur dengan aksi pemain badminton negara yang lain. Billy Ng berentap dengan Tan Aik Huang dalam perlawanan akhir perseorangan lelaki yang mendebarkan. Beliau akhirnya menewaskan Aik Huang 2-15, 18-14, 15-11. Juara negara Tan Gaik Bee pula menewaskan pasangan beregunya Ng Mei Ling 11-6, 11-6 untuk memenangi acara perseorangan wanita.
Pesta Sukan Hari Malaysia 1963 ditutup dengan Piala Malaysia Sepak Takraw yang buat julung kalinya diadakan. Singapura muncul sebagai juara pertama setelah mengalahkan Kedah 2-1 pada perlawanan akhir. Ia merupakan kejohanan sepak takraw pertama yang disertai oleh kesemua 11 negeri di Semenanjung Malaysia serta Singapura.
Pada tahun 1986, Temasya Sukan Malaysia (SUKMA) yang pertama diadakan, iaitu serupa dengan Pesta Sukan Hari Malaysia 1963. Mengikut format ini, atlet negara mewakili negeri masing-masing manakala terdapat juga kontinjen dari Polis Diraja Malaysia dan Angkatan Tentera Malaysia pada tahun itu. Lebih daripada 100 acara dan 300 pingat ditawarkan untuk dimenangi. Pada edisi pertama, Kuala Lumpur muncul juara setelah memperoleh jumlah pingat emas tertinggi.
SUKMA 2022 bermula secara rasmi pada hari ini, 16 September hingga 24 September, 2022. Kami mengucapkan selamat maju jaya kepada semua atlet!
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More than 1000 participants were invited from all over Malaysia to take part in the 1963 Malaysia Day Sports Festival, which was held in Kuala Lumpur. It was officially the first time athletes from Sarawak, Sabah, Singapore and the Peninsula came together for a major sporting event. All competitors and officials were given free accommodation, transportation, and other necessities at the “Games Village”, capturing the spirit of the Olympic Games.
Hockey was the major tournament of the festival as the 11-day event will determine the selected hopefuls who get to join the national training squad for the 1964 Olympic Games, which Malaysia had already qualified for.
The 1963 Malaya Cup semi-finals were held during the same week and spirits were high. Penang won 3-2 on aggregate against Singapore, while Selangor won 9-4 on aggregate against Malacca. Later in the month, Selangor would go to beat Penang 6-2, with four goals scored by Abdul Ghani Minhat and two by Arthur Koh and Stanley Gabrielle. M. Kupan and Pang Siang Hock scored Penang’s two goals.
The Thomas Cup squad missed out on the festivities as they were in New Zealand for the Australasian zone matches but badminton fans were not short of entertainment. Billy Ng played a thrilling match as he defeated Tan Aik Huang (2-15, 18-14, 15-11) in the men’s singles final. Malayan champion at the time, Tan Gaik Bee, took home the women’s singles title after defeating her doubles partner Ng Mei Ling 11-6, 11-6.
The Malaysia Day Sports Festival closed out with the inaugural Sepak Takraw Malaysia Cup. Singapore emerged as its first champion after defeating Kedah 2-1 in the final match. It was the first sepak takraw tournament participated by all 11 states in Peninsula Malaysia as well as Singapore.
In 1986, the first “Sukan Malaysia” (SUKMA) was officially held, a tournament akin to the 1963 Malaysia Day Sports Festival. In this format, athletes represented their home state while there were also contigens from the Royal Malaysian Police and the Malaysian Armed Forces. There were over 100 events and 300 medals to be won. Kuala Lumpur emerged as champions after scoring the highest gold medal tally.
The 2022 edition of SUKMA officially begins today, September 16, until September 24, 2022. We wish our homegrown athletes all the best!
