Cycling hero washes cars to make ends meet

Published on Saturday 14th June

Monday, June 16, 2014 - The Malay Mail

Rosli being greeted by officials after winning the team gold at the Asian championships in KL in 1963.

By TONY MARIADASS

 

IN the Olympic Council of Malaysia Hall of Fame and Malaysian cycling annals, he is considered a hero and an Icon.
But in real life, Rosli Abdul Kadir, who turns 75 next Saturday, is still washing cars to make a living instead of spending time leisurely.
The father of eight children and 23 grandchildren was a member of the gold medal winning team on grass at Merdeka Stadium in the 1963 Asian cycling championships.
A double international, having also represented the nation in in athletics, Rosli made his debut at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta and retired in 1973.
In the 20km Big Walk, he had competed in the 1973 Sea Games where he finished fourth.
He also won numerous walking meets in the region, including The Malay Mail Big Walk where he had won the junior veterans category thrice in a row to make the challenge trophy his to keep.
However, the accolades and honours earned as a cyclist were not good enough to get him a decent job to bring up his family.
Rosli had worked as a driver, odd-job worker and gardener before he decided to try his hands at car washing.
It started about 30 years ago when he managed to get CIMB in Damansara to allow him to wash its employees’ cars in their premises.
Three months ago, he moved to the CIMB Sentral office, thanks to the assistance of group administration and property manager Khairizal Khalib.

Rosli busy washing cars at the CIMB Sentral car park

Armed with a motorcycle which had been specially fitted to carry two pails of water, he moves up and down the car park to wash his regular clients’ cars three times a week.
He charges RM50 a month for regulars and RM5 a wash for random clients.
"I have about 40 regular clients and together with the random clients, I can earn about RM1,000 a month which is suffice for me to survive," said Rosli, whose wife passed away last year.
He currently stays with his youngest son in a low-cost rental where he pays RM124 per month.
“I am very grateful to Khairizal for giving me permission to operate in the bank's premises.
He is an ardent sports fan and took pity to allow me to earn my living washing cars.
“I have been doing this for more than 30 years and I am not ashamed of it because I am earning an honest living and working for it,” said Rosli, who was inducted into the OCM Hall of Fame last year.
Rosli said he also gets assistance from The National Athletes Welfare Foundation (Yakeb) from which his medical bills are taken care of.
“I am grateful to Yakeb for assisting me and many other former athletes with our medical bills. We have a medical card given by Yakeb and use it to get our monthly medication.
“But it would have been nice to be remembered for services rendered to the nation. Something like pension in our old age."
When Yakeb launched their 1Ringgit 1Malaysia campaign in 2009, they had presented RM2,000 and a bag of rice to Rosli and his family.
“Thank God I can still work and earn pocket money by washing cars. I use the money for my daily expenses, buys gifts for my grandchildren when I can and save some just in case there comes a day when I cannot work," he said.
Rosli, who hails from Bunut Payong in Kota Baru, Kelantan, said he came to the city in the 1960s to attend trials for the Asian Games cycling team for three days on a hired bicycle.
He said it was the passion to represent the nation which saw him leave home.
"I have no regrets despite my current position. I enjoyed every minute of the 11 years in cycling," said Rosli.
“And to see my two sons — Nor Effandy and Noor Azahar — follow in my footsteps and don national colours was a proud moment for me.
“At least they are better off as there were efforts to secure employment for national athletes. Nor Effandy got a job as an enforcement officer with City Hall under (former KL mayor) Tan Sri Elyas Omar."
Rosli said that sports will be benefit with officials who are passionate and have the welfare of athletes at heart.
“Elyas was truly an exemplary official who has done a great deal for Malaysian sports.
“But more often than not, officials are there for their own benefits and athletes are often neglected.”
He said that athletes today have it good and should be performing much better in the international arena.
Rosli said one way for Malaysian sports to progress was to expose athletes to training methods overseas and more importantly, compete in top level competitions regularly.

Is sports corrupt?

Friday, June 13, 2014 - The Malay Mail

HAS money corrupted sports and killed its purity?
From the top sports associations like Fifa to the lesser known bodies, this menace has reared its ugly head.
Even fans are involved indirectly when they place bets with bookmakers.
This morning, arguably the world’s greatest sporting event — the Fifa World Cup — kicked off amidst speculation the outcome of some matches has already been decided.
Qatar’s alleged bribery to win the right to host the 2022 World Cup certainly does not augur well for football and sports in general.
A lot of athletes are involved in doping as well as bribery and sex scandals.
Sports officials have become so powerful they dictate terms in their national bodies.
Sports has indeed become terribly murky, but fans still support it wholeheartedly.
Just look at the numbers who have travelled to watch the World Cup in Brazil, some having spent their life savings to do so.
The bookmakers are rubbing their hands in glee as tickets for not only football but also other top events fl y off the counter.
Indeed, the number of viewers for Formula One and the Rugby World Cup continues to soar.
So, what is happening to the world of sports? Corruption is the antithesis of everything that sport stands for. Our sports heroes are supposed to be an antidote for all our disappointments in life, but are they?
Sports used to be our magic carpet to ride but today, all we do is sweep the ills under it.
However, we do have some genuine officials and athletes who are trying to uphold its good name.
But we may be fighting a losing battle because the ills and bad habits are creeping into the grassroots.
Sports is hailed as something that builds character and nurtures fair play, sportsmanship and healthy living in the young.
As long as this perception prevails, there is hope.
And maybe it is time more ex-sportsmen and women helm sports associations rather than people who parachute into them without any sporting background.
On the home front, the sports scene is replete with politicking, bickering and campaigning to remain in office or go on trips.
Even at the smaller associations, there are power struggles and wastage of funds via unnecessary seminars or meetings at luxury venues when the Olympic Council of Malaysia’s (OCM) building has adequate facilities at a minimal fee.
The culture of fighting for overseas trips is also creeping into OCM.
While there some officials who are known to return the allowances for meals and transport, there are others who fight for more money or business or first class air tickets, top accommodation, private cars, accreditation for family members and other perks.
Sports officials must be reminded that they were appointed to serve sports, not the other way around.
It is little wonder that sports in general in Malaysia has a long way to go before it can be professional.
After 57 years of independence, it is sad that Malaysian sports has not fully realised its true potential.
If the officials and athletes do not start to act professionally, there is no way Malaysian sports will amount to anything in the years to come.

TONY MARIADASS is a sports journalist
with more than three decades of
experience and is passionate about
local sports. He can be reached at
tmariadass@gmail.com.
Twitter handle: @tmariadass

JB's world turned upside dow

Published on Saturday June 7

Monday, June 09, 2014 - Malay Mail

KOO BOO JIN, or JB to his friends, was a world beater at tenpin bowling. Yet, 26 years after being banned from the sport, he remains an outcast.
J.B.was a of member of the three-man team who won the nation’s fi rst ever gold medal in the FIQ world championships in Manila in 1979 and culminated in him winning the Sportsman of the Year award for that year.
In Manila, JB partnered Alan Hooi and Edward Lim for the trios gold and also took the bronze medal in the Masters.
The feat in Manila was preceded by a stellar display from the national fi ve-man team at the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok. That golden feat by Datuk Dr P.S. Nathan, Holloway Cheah, Hooi, Edward Lim and Lee Kok Hong saw the team being inducted to the Olympic Council of Malaysia Hall of Fame in 2006.
But as JB, who will be 71 on Sept 30, looks back on his world class achievements, he can't help but be disappointed at how he was forced out of the sport.
JB started bowling at a late age of 30 and went on to represent the nation from 1977 to 1988.
“I must be the longest suspended athlete in the history of Malaysian sports and through no fault of mine," said J.B. His wife Doris Ang Lay Eng, also a former national bowler, shared his sentiments.
“I was caught in the crossfi re and had to retire in 1991 because of JB’s suspension. I only took part in three tournaments for the nation,” said Doris.

JB felt he was unjustly treated despite having won gold and bronze medals at the 1979 FIQ world championships in Manila

JB said the manner in which he exited the sport he loved was disheartening.
“My consolation was that my performance to help the team win the fi rst ever gold medal at the world championships gave bowling a new dimension in Malaysia. There were more people bowling and many began to believe that Malaysia were capable of being conquerors at the world level," he said.
JB said the suspension by the Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress (MTBC) arose because he had spoken up on behalf of fellow national bowler Ringo Wang, who had been suspended by MTBC midway through the Selangor Open in 1988.
“I was working for Peter Stuyvesant and our company had sponsored a team which included Ringo. Midway through the tournament, Ringo was banned for having made a press statement earlier questioning his exclusion from the national team," said JB.
“I had questioned the ban because it was made during the tournament when they could have done it after the tournament. Ringo’s ban affected the team and it did not go down well with the sponsors.
“I was asked to attend a disciplinary meeting which I skipped because I felt I had not done any wrong. I was banned for two years and I accepted it.
“But MTBC’s condition to lift my ban af- ter two years was for me to make a public apology, which I refused because I have already served my suspension and punished for my actions. Why should I be punished twice.
“So the ban still stands! I have not received any letter from MTBC saying otherwise.”
JB said he had earlier run foul of MTBC when he was omitted from the 1986 Seoul Asian Games without a proper roll-off.
"I had questioned why I was left out without a proper trial and was told that I would not have done well in Seoul. I would have accepted the exclusion if I had not made the cut after the trials but at that time, I was bowling well and there were no trials.”
JB said he had been looking forward to giving back to the game as a coach in his latter years. JB, Edward Lim and Stanley Lim had attended a six-month coaching course in Fresno, USA as a reward for the world championship gold medal feat.

“Surprisingly, Allan (Hooi) was left out of the coaching trip and Stanley went instead.”
JB also had a bone to pick with Selangor TBA, who withdrew his life membership when he was banned. The life membership had been given for his feat in Manila.
“I feel that I was unjustly treated after all that I had done for the sport and decided to take up golf instead in 1990," said JB, who at one time was a seven handicapper but currently plays at 18.
But despite the unhappy episodes, JB said there were moments in bowling that he savours.
“Winning the fi rst ever gold medal at the world championships, and winning the Sportsman and Sportswoman awards with Shirley Chow in 1979 saw bowling make a clean sweep and that was a moment to savour,” he said.
The Penang-born, upon retirement from the tobacco industry, set up his own advertising company which he still manages at a much leisurely pace.
And despite his regrets with the way his bowling career turned out, he was full of praise for the sport and its current status.
“Bowling has grown and is a very popular sport at school level. We have gone on to win many world titles and it is still growing. It has tremendous potential,” said JB.
“My wife and I make it a point to drop by to see the young bowlers and meet old friends whenever there is a major competition.
“I hope that the ban that is hovering over me will be lifted. I do not want to continue to be banned after I leave this earth and cannot bowl in my new environment," laughed JB.
JB has a son, Joey, who is a chef with a prominent restaurant in Kuala Lumpur.

Serve sports, not rob it

Commentary
Friday, June 06, 2014 - Malay Mail

Tengku Abdullah (centre) must be careful who hangs around him as many will try to take advantage now he heads two of the most popular sports association. — File picture

SPORTS leaders should get rid of hangers-on in the best interests of the sport and their reputations.
These parasites are a common sight in Malaysia.
They keep appearing in the print and electronic media together with the officials, nodding approvingly at the latters’ statements and smiling at the camera.
Surely these leaders are capable of giving interviews without these leeches sharing the limelight?
My main complaint is these hangers-on claim they are the ‘president’s men’ with easy access to the leaders and able to arrange appointments, pass on proposals and influence decision-making.
However, all their favours come at a price.
Sports leaders should know better that to allow such people to manipulate situations and, above all, tarnish their image.
Such culture is very detrimental to the progress of professional sports in this country.
The latest personality to be appointed to a national body is Tengku Abdullah Ahmad Shah. He has been elected as president of FA of Malaysia.
The Pahang prince who is already the president of the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC), is now heading two very high-profile sport associations, so naturally, many will start claiming they are close to him. MHC officials may even try to extend their influence into football circles.
When will the hangers-on serve sports instead of serving themselves?
Let us keep Malaysian sports clean and free of manipulative officials, who care only about being popular locally and internationally.
Sports these days is a multibillion-ringgit industry and unless transparency prevails, corruption will thrive. Sports officials must serve with absolute integrity.
To recap, the Malaysian Paralympic Council (MPC) came under fire for allegedly investing RM4 million in an event management company and then writing off RM3.8 million as bad investment.
However, MPC president Datuk Zainal Abu Zarin, who founded the association 20 years ago, denied that the money was mismanaged.
This daily reported that MPC’s RM4 million investment in Paralimpik Ventures Sdn Bhd (PVSB) in 2008 was under scrutiny because it was helmed by Zainal and his two sons Idi Irwan and Ilia Ikhwan.
Zainal said such claims were baseless because the money was invested to increase MPC’s revenue since it had suffered financial difficulties in the 1990s.
Reports are said to have been made to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and police, but nothing has come of it. Meanwhile, MPC continues to operate and collect funds for new events under the same president.
Has the association got away scot-free?
MPC is a non-profit organisation responsible for promoting and enhancing sports for the disabled so they can maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. How does making investments fit into this?
Certainly, sports in Malaysia has run foul of the law in many areas. Can it ever move into the zone of par excellence? Let us get it right and save ourselves from further embarrassments in the name of sports.

TONY MARIADASS is a sports
journalist with more than three
decades of experience and is
passionate about local sports. He can
be reached at tmariadass@gmail.com.
Twitter handle: @tmariadass

Kalimutu’s not one to give up easily

By TONY MARIADASS

Published on Saturday 31 May

The Malay Mail

Kalimutu, despite being 68, still coaches the Under-12 boys under the National Football Development Programme.

KALIMUTU N. VEERAPPAN is a shining example of someone who turned disappointment into a passion for sports.
The multi-talented athlete who hails from Malacca was heartbroken when he was left out of the 1972 Munich Olympics contingent. This was despite having been in the football squad of 19 that had earned a ticket to Munich after having beaten the likes of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines in the qualifying rounds in Seoul.
The team management under the late Datuk Harun Idris had promised that all 19 players would be retained for the Olympics.
But that was not to be. Midfielder Kalimutu — who had earned 14 international caps by then — Syed Ahmad, Chan Kok Leng and another player from Johor were dropped.

Kalimutu showing his grandson Kyle Kiren a photo of his younger days.

But Kalimutu, who turned 68 on May 8, did not let that disappointment deter him. “I could have given up sports but I wanted to prove that I was made of sterner stuff,” he said.
Today, Kalimutu is still sharing his knowledge of football and is coach educator (talent scouting) with the National Football Development Programme (NFDP).
Early this week, he left with NFDP technical director Lim Teong Lim and a team of 14 coaches and 22 Under-12 players for a training-cum-playing tour of Germany and Austria.
It is well-known that Kalimutu has impacted on children and adults in football, athletics, hockey, cricket and rugby. He did, after all, represent Malacca in these games in the 1960s and 1970s.
He coached the Malacca football team from 1978 to 1981 and was involved with the Junior Football School Malaysia and Royal Selangor Club soccer programme.
Kalimutu was a double international, having represented the nation in football and in the marathon at the 1967 Seap Games in Bangkok.
“It is my passion for sports, especially football, that has kept me involved all this while,” said Kalimutu, who was a former coaching instructor with the FA of Malaysia and Asian Football Confederation.
So, has his involvement in sports been a consolation for missing the Munich Olympics? “No, I still have not got over the disappointment,” he said.
“All the other achievements in sports have made me happy, but every time I watch the Olympics, I shed tears at my missed opportunity.

The medals Kalimutu has garnered over the years are testimony of his sporting prowess.

“But when I look back or meet players I have coached and friends I have made all over the world, I think I did the right thing to continue with sports.”
Besides Malacca, Kalimutu also coached Perwira Habib Bank, his employer Tenaga Nasional Bhd (Kilat) and the national women’s hockey team.
He retired from TNB in 2001 after 36 years as the head of the company’s sports unit. Kalimutu’s experience in sports also extended to being sports/technical coordinator for events like the Sea Games, Asian Games, 1998 Commonwealth Games, 2002 World Cup hockey tournament and the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
“I still like to conduct football coaching courses if I have the opportunity,” said Kalimutu, who conducted 30 C licence and 20 B licence courses while with AFC and seven C licence courses with the FA of Malaysia from 1996 to 2008.
Despite his hectic schedule, Kalimutu always finds time for his wife Janet Koh Soo Ho and his three grandchildren.
His eldest son, Kelly Sathiraj, has followed in his footsteps and was the former FA of Malaysia assistant general-secretary and is currently project coordinator with AFC.
Kalimutu has another son Kellvyn Silvaraj and a daughter Kellyn Shantini, both of whom are married.
“I am blessed and I cannot complain. Till today, I have former athletes who greet me as ‘coach’ and have time for me. That means a great deal to me and I am happy that I played a small role in moulding them,” said Kalimutu, a livewire at any gathering.
Hurt he may have been long ago in 1972, but Kalimutu used that emotion to spur him to excel in anything he tried his hand at. Clearly, a man worth emulating.

Stop hailing second best performances

Friday, May 30, 2014 - The Malay Mail

Malaysian pair Tan Boon Heong (right) and Hoon Thien How in action against Hiroyuki Endo and Kenichi Hayakawa of Japan during the Thomas Cup final at Siri Fort Stadium in New Delhi, May 25, 2014. — Picture by AFP

STARVED of success, we celebrate even second-rate performances.
This was clearly the case early this week when the whole nation was talking about how close Malaysia was to lifting the Thomas Cup in New Delhi after twenty-two long years.
Despite an earlier target of reaching the semi-finals, reality was thrown out the window when even the severest critics started to hope Malaysia would beat Japan.
But the fact remains that we did not have a formidable line-up and had agonised over the final squad until the eleventh hour. And we had to rely on makeshift partnerships, hoping the players would rise to the occasion. Sure, it was a golden opportunity to win because it was only Japan, who were making their first appearance in a final.
And although Malaysia fought hard, they lost, and to Japan.
But everybody is full of sympathy, praising the fighting quality of the players with radio stations even dedicating programmes to them.
I personally feel we went overboard, as usual, despite having lost. Let us hope no reward is given to the players for having finished runners-up. That would indeed be a joke.
The fact remains that Malaysia lost to Japan, never mind that they had disposed of five-time consecutive winners China 3-0 in the semi-finals.
It is worth noting that Japan did not become the champions by chance. South Korea’s Park Joobong has been coaching them since 2005 and clearly invested a lot of hard work and time in the team.
Success does not come overnight.
Park was in the coaching setup when Malaysia last made their Thomas Cup final in Guangzhou in 2002, but he did not stay long enough to make his mark.
Coming back to Malaysia, are all the accolades showered on our players going to do the game any good? If at all, it will go to show that Malaysians will accept even second best.
It may sound cruel to criticise a team who fought hard, but as I have always maintained, one has to be cruel to be kind.
We cannot be forgiving if we want world beaters. We cannot forever be giving excuses for our defeats.
We just have to be the best to achieve honour and this is going to require proper planning, time, dedication from the players and above all, the passion and desire to reach the highest level of excellence.
We need a pool of players who are all almost of the same standard and not depend on one or two players to carry the team.
Strip out the politics from sports and have fair selections to see the best players being picked to represent the country. Officials should just stick to their appointed roles and excess baggage in the association and team must be sliced off. The bottom line? Manage the team professionally, and we will have a real chance at becoming champions.
Just look at the ongoing Malaysia Games. There are rewards for achievements by young athletes at the lowest level of competition in the country. So you can guess what kind of athletes we are breeding.
By paying out hundreds of thousands ringgit as rewards, the authorities will make these athletes lose sight of patriotism to the country and their pursuit of excellence in their sport. Indeed, they will become materialistic.
“Sacrifice” is a foreign word to these young athletes. So, can we expect them to fight for the nation in a time of need? Malaysia has to change its mentality towards high-performance sports if we are to become champions in the international field.
It is not going to happen overnight as many will not be prepared to give up the comforts of life to work hard for success.
However, it is easier said than done.

• Deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences to the Perak royal family on the demise of the Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah on Wednesday.
The late Sultan of Perak, the former Malaysian Hockey Federation (then) president and incumbent president of the Asian Hockey Federation, will always be remembered fondly for his contribution to the game both in Malaysia and Asia.
In fact, Tuanku was a wellknown figure in the world of hockey, where he was held in high esteem and respect for his passion for the game.
May his soul rest in peace.

TONY MARIADASS is a sports
journalist with more than
three decades of experience
and is passionate about local
sports. He can be reached
at tmariadass@gmail.com.
Twitter handle: @tmariadass

Joo Pong slowing down the years

Published on Saturday The Malay Mail

Monday, May 26, 2014

Joo Pong (left) and Joo Ngan pose with an assortment of trophies and medals garnered from their cycling successes

By TONY MARIADASS

NG Joo Pong, in his heyday, was a bicycle terror who gave his rivals no quarter.
Today, he drives a taxi at a slow pace, hoping for passengers to wave him down.
Age, no doubt, has slowed him down considerably. And for someone who had represented Malaya in two Olympics – Tokyo 1964 and Mexico City 1968 – the downturn in fortunes had been inconceivable.
Apart from driving the taxi part-time, Joo Pong is also a contract lorry salesman.
To those who don’t know, Joo Pong was a pioneering national cyclist in the 1960s and was the first Malaysian to win a medal at the inaugural Asian cycling championships held at Merdeka Stadium in 1963.
Joo Pong, who turns 68 on June 19, won the bronze medal in the 1,000m individual road time trial in his first international meet when he was only 17.
The event was won by Thailand’s Taworn Jirapan ahead of Japan’s Masahi Omiya.
The Kuala Lumpur-born rider went on to win a gold medal in the four-man team 1,600m grass track team trial event at Merdeka Stadium. The quartet, comprising Joo Pong, Conrad Talalla, the late Andrew Michael and the late Jallaludin Yusof, finished in a time of 2:28.1.
Joo Pong, to the uninitiated, is the older brother of another cycling icon, Datuk Ng Joo Ngan.

Joo Pong (right) at the 1960 Tokyo Olympics

Joo Ngan is considered the most successful cyclist in Malaysian history, having won the most competitions and at the Asian Games.
But it was Joo Pong who started cycling first in the family and influenced his younger brother to take up the sport.
He retired from the sport after competing in his second consecutive Asian Games in Bangkok in 1970, where both he and Joo Ngan had competed.
After Joo Pong's retirement, his younger brother made his mark in cycling and became a household name.
“I was not athletic and did not like walking when I was young. I was helping my family business, which supplied well water to a village at 4th mile, Old Klang Road,” recalled Joo Pong.
“I was put in charge of the pump for the well, which supplied water to each household in the village from 6am to 6pm for RM6 a month. Each time it rained, I had to switch off the pump in case it got struck by lightning.
“We stayed some distance from the well and village, so to reach the well fast, I would take my father’s bicycle without his knowledge. I used to get a beating for using it and for the many falls I had. But that did not stop me from using the bicycle.”
Joo Pong then urged his parents to buy him a bicycle to go to school in Brickfields, but they refused.
He finally got his first bicycle when he was 12.
“I was presented with a China model, which cost RM75 at the time, for selling the most number of booklets for a Christmas lucky draw in La Salle Brickfields.
The funds were collected for renovations to St John’s Institution in 1959. I sold 60 booklets at RM5 each,” said Joo Pong.
“I then started to cycle everywhere and competed in my first competition in 1960 at my school meet (private school St Anthony) and won the 15-mile race from my school to Sungai Way and back."
Joo Pong had to attend a private school because he did not do well in Bahasa Malaysia in his Standard Six examination.
“I probably did not do well in my exams because I spent too much time selling the raffle tickets,” he laughed.
“Then I used to train in Jalan Duta and met some national cyclists, including N. Rosli, who urged me to compete in a road race. I trained, competed and beat all of them!”
Joo Pong competed in many road and track competitions before taking part in trials for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The trials were over four days from Alor Star to Johor Baru. He made it to the podium in four consecutive legs out of six to earn his Olympic ticket.
Joo Pong said the Olympics were a different kettle of fish with the latest racing bicycles and velodromes, sophisticated equipment and experienced cyclists. He returned richer in experience and exposure.

Joo Pong with Nazri after getting his taxi licence

He had gone to Tokyo with a bicycle his father Swee Long and mother had bought for RM270 from Robinsons Store.
In 1967, Joo Pong suffered a nasty road accident when training alone. He was cycling to Klang when a lorry he was following braked suddenly.
He rammed into it, breaking his jaw and suffering injuries that landed him in hospital for three months.
Once recovered, he started to race and win again, but the accident had taken a toll on him. He wanted to skip the 1970 Asian Games, but decided to keep Joo Ngan company and worked hard to qualify.
“Cyclists these days are very lucky because everything is taken care of, from equipment, coaching, training stints, allowance and handsome rewards. But their results leave much to be desired.
“In fact, our performance in the Asian championships is still standing. We competed for the love of the sport,” said Joo Pong, whose 31-year-old son is an IT programmer.
Upon retiring, Joo Pong became an insurance salesman. He and his brother applied for taxi licences in the 1970s, but Joo Pong only got his after a 30-year wait. And that too thanks to the then Public Enterprises Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, who had read about Joo Pong’s plight in an article by M. Veera Pandiyan in his column Along the Watchtower.
“I am indebted to the reporter and Datuk Seri Nazri for assisting me,” said Joo Pong, who is driving his second taxi after his first was involved in an accident and became a write-off.
“I wrote a letter to Datuk Seri Nazri after learning that he loves sports and at the insistence of the reporter.
“I was a sports enthusiast, so I know of Joo Pong and his brother's exploits in cycling. They made us proud,” Nazri said when he finally met Joo Pong in 2012.
“When I saw a letter from him over 10 years ago asking for a permit, I didn't even have to interview him.”
Asked if his passengers recognise him or even remember his name displayed on the taxi, he replied: “This is a totally different generation.
 They are too young to remember me.”
Today, Joo Pong, without fail, still cycles three times a week for an hour at least before he takes his taxi out from 6am to 7am. He then goes on his calls to sell lorries. He drives the taxi again for another two hours in the evening around Shah Alam, where he lives.
During weekends, he would drive his taxi for a few extra hours.
Asked if his back and knee hurt when driving the taxi, he said: “I stopped cycling for ten years and suffered from all sorts of aliments. I got back to cycling and I am much healthier and the pain is much less.
“I will be cycling till my dying day. It is my first love.”