Final journey of a legend

Tuesday, February 04, 2014 - The Malay Mail

TRUE FRIEND: Choon Wah's best friend Chin Aun paying his last respect at the crematorium yesterday. In the background Choon Wah's three daughters — (L-R kneeling) Fai Lai, Fai Mei, Fai Siang.

THE sports fraternity came in numbers to pay their last respects to footballer extraordinaire Wong Choon Wah in the last two days when his body laid in wake.
Yesterday, on his final journey before being cremated, they came again, not just footballers, but badminton, hockey and officials of various sports.
Accolades were pouring endlessly as they spoke of the midfield maestro's playing days and what a simple man he was.
Choon Wah, who would have turned 67 on March 31, certainly touched many people.
Among the officials present yesterday were Datuk Peter Velappan, the former Asian Football Confederation secretary and assistant team manager of the 1972 Munich Olympics squad which Choon Wah was a member, and former FA of Selangor treasurer R. Ramalingam.
The other sports personalities present included former hockey internationals Datuk Sri Shanmuganathan, Datuk Poon Fook Loke and K. Balasingam, badminton's Datuk James Selvaraj and a host of ex-footballers such as Khoo Luen Khen, who flew in from Hong Kong.
Others present included Choon Wah's former national team buddies, Datuk Soh Chin Aun, Datuk Santokh Singh, Bahwandi Hiralal, Lim Fong Kee, N. Thanabalan, Vincent Thambirajah, V. Kalimuthu, Wong Hung Nung, N. Thanabalan, Vincent Thambirajah, K. Kanagarajah, and Ho Hon Seong to name a few.
Choon Wah, a former Selangor player, was a member of the illustrious 1972 Munich Olympics team, played professional football in Hong Kong (1972-74) with South China Athletics Association, won a Asian Games bronze medal in Teheran in 1974, collected Malaysia Cup medals with Selangor in 1968, 1969, 1971, 1975 and 1976 and Merdeka tournament victor in 1973 and 1974.
Choon Wah may be gone, but his memories will forever live on.
He leaves wife Lee Nyok Ching, daughters Fai Mei, Fai Mei, Fai Siang, son-in-law Mike and grandchildren Nathaniel and Grabrielle Precious.

PAYING TRIBUTE: Among the sportsmen of yesteryears who came to pay their last respect to Choon Wah — (from left): Narasimha Rao, I. Sundram, Teoh Teck Huat, Thanabalan, Luen Khen, Vincent, Santokh, Chin Aun, Kalimuthu, Fong Kee, Balasingam, Soh Chin Lay, Datuk Yap Nyim Keong and Hon Seong