On 17th December 2009, no-hopers Malaysia defeated Vietnam 1-0 at the Laos SEA Games football final, hence winning first football gold in 20 years and first OUTSIDE home in 28 years. To make it even sweeter, Malaysia dumped 8-time consecutive champions and defending champions Thailand 2-1 in the group stages, hence making them suffer the ignominy of failing to qualify for the semifinals for the first time in 16 years. In fact, Vietnam was in the same group as Malaysia and defeated them 3-1 earlier.

So how does that compare/rank among malaysia’s greatest ever sporting moments, of which a partial list is as follows:

Athletics: Dr M Jegathesan could very well be the greatest track and field athlete Malaysia has ever produced. At the 1966 Asian Games he
won 3 gold medals: 100m, 200m and 400m. He is still the only Malaysian to have reached as far as the semifinals at an Olympics sprint event, doing so twice. At the 1968 Mexico Olympics, his time of 20.92 seconds is still the national record, while his 1965 400m hand-timed record of 46.3 seconds is still unbeaten. If there’s an award for the grooviest Malaysian ever, he’d have it handed to him on a platter. Even now he looks relatively youthful, no wrinkle serums needed.

Athletics: Asian Games 1982: Rabuan Pit won a surprise gold in the 100m, defeating favourite Suchart Jaesuraparp of Thailand.

Formula 1: Alex Yoong becomes first Malaysian to become Formula One driver in 2001. Driving for Minardi, he debuted at the Italian Grand Prix. In the first race of the 2002 season, he finished 7th, his best ever result. In total, he competed in 18 Grand Prixes.

Football: Malaysia qualifies for the Olympics in 1972 and 1980. In the 1972 qualification campaign, Malaysia defeated teams like Japan and South Korea along the way, feats which would be unthinkable today. The enduring image of the 1980 campaign would always be that final qualifying match against South Korea, when Khalid Ali passed to Hassan Sani, who then did a one-two with James Wong who scored the winning goal.

Squash: Nicol David becomes the youngest world champion in 2005. She’s also the first Asian woman to be ranked no.1. If squash were an Olympics sport, she could very well be the first Malaysian to be Olympic champion.

The 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur: the biggest games ever hosted in Malaysia, the first Asian country to host it. Malaysia finished 4th in the medal count.

Badminton: Lee Chong Wei wins silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the best achievement by a Malaysian at an Olympics, and the nation’s first Olympic medal in 12 years.

Badminton: 1992 Thomas Cup campaign: first winner’s medal in 25 years.

Badminton: All-England 2003: unseeded Hafiz Hashim, 20 upset top-seeded defending champion Chen Hong of China to win the men’s singles title, becoming the first Malaysian in 37 years and the first unseeded player in 15 to achieve the feat.

Badminton: 2006 Asian Games: Koo Kean Keat – Tan Boon Heong won gold in the men’s doubles, becoming the first Malaysians to do so in 36 years.

Badminton: All-England 2007: Koo Kean Keat – Tan Boon Heong, in their first pairing at the championships, upset world champions and top seeds Cai Yun – Fu Haifeng of China in the men doubles’ final, becoming the first Malaysians to win the title in 25 years.

Rally Driving: Karamjit Singh becomes first Asian to win the FIA Production Car World Rally Championship in 2002, in his first attempt no less.

Hockey: silver medal at the 1998 Commonwealth games, defeating England, India and Pakistan along the way.

Hockey: World Cup 1975: hosts Malaysia finished 4th.

Bowling: Shalin Zulkifli, then Asia No. 1 bowler, won the World Tenpin Masters by defeating World Bowler of the Year Tore Torgerson in 2001.

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