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KLBA honours badminton legend Punch Gunalan  | Scoop
Datin P. Vijeyakumari (second from right) receives a token of appreciation from KLBA president Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos during a ceremony at Titiwangsa Stadium today. – Pic courtesy of BAM, November 5, 2023
Sports

KLBA honours badminton legend Punch Gunalan 

His achievements ranged from the court where he brought home medals, to being an administrator growing the sport he loved

Main Author Image
Faizal Salim
Updated
2:13 PM MYT

 

KUALA LUMPUR – The late Datuk Punch Gunalan was honoured by the Kuala Lumpur Badminton Association (KLBA), in an appreciation ceremony to commemorate the badminton great at Titiwangsa Stadium, here today.

The simple ceremony was attended by the legend’s widow, Datin P. Vijeyakumari, and son, Dr G. Roshan.

“We held this event today to honour the memory of Datuk Punch as he was a former KLBA president himself. His contribution to badminton in Malaysia stands out above all.

“His two gold and one bronze medals at the Bangkok Asian Games are widely known among fans.

“His contributions from the administrative side of things are also highly valuable, whether it be at KLBA, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), or the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

“All of this makes us feel that it is appropriate to give the highest appreciation to our legend,” KLBA president Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos said.

Vijeyakumari was moved by the event organised by the KLBA.

“I’m really grateful to KLBA for holding this occasion today. It’s very touching for me,” she said as her voice broke, holding back tears.

“I think the players need a lot of help to bring them up and train them.

“There are a lot of them playing, but are they all exposed to competition? Are there people there to help them improve their game?”

Datuk Punch Gunalan (left) and Datuk Ng Boon Bee (right) partnered together to win numerous tournaments such as the 1970 Asian Games and the 1971 All England. Punch passed away in 2012, while Ng died last year. – Olympic Council of Malaysia Facebook pic, November 5, 2023

Gunalan was a decorated badminton player for Malaysia, excelling in both singles and doubles.

In the early 70s, he and partner Ng Boon Bee became the leading men’s doubles team in the world.

They captured gold at the 1970 Bangkok Asian Games, where Gunalan also won in singles and added a bronze in the men’s team event. They also won the All-England the following year.

His burning passion for badminton continued after retiring from the court, as he took up administrative positions at the state level with KLBA, BAM, and the International Badminton Federation (now BWF).

He, along with then BAM president, the late Tan Sri Elyas Omar, was also the team manager of the 1992 Thomas Cup squad that defeated Indonesia to bring the trophy to Malaysia.

Punch passed away at the age of 68 on August 15, 2012. – November 5, 2023

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