PREPARATIONS for the Penang Badminton Association’s (PBA) 100th Anniversary Gala Dinner are progressing smoothly and have entered the final stage, says its president Datuk Kah Kau Kiak.
He said the organising committee is putting the finishing touches to the milestone celebration, which will be held at the Setia SPICE Convention Centre on Nov 22, and is set to welcome a distinguished line-up of guests from the sporting world and beyond.
“Everything is running according to plan as we look forward to celebrating a century of badminton excellence in Penang,” he said in a statement.
“We are making sure that every detail, from logistics to hospitality, is handled with care to honour this historic occasion,” he said.
Kah also revealed that the PBA Centre in Bukit Dumbar’s refurbishments has been completed in conjunction with the 100th anniversary celebration.
“The works completed including installing better lighting around the courts, resurfacing the road, replacing the main signboard at the entrance, and putting up a new 100th Anniversary main board to welcome players and visitors,” he said.
As part of the celebrations, PBA is also preparing special door gifts for guests at the gala dinner.
In addition, participants of the PBA Century Cup tournament, to be held at Bukit Dumbar on Nov 21, in conjunction with the centennial celebration will each receive three Yonex T-shirts.
“The PBA Century Cup is a corporate badminton competition organised in collaboration with the Malaysia Purple League (MPL) and will take place during the eve of gala dinner,” he said.
A highlight of the evening will be the Hall of Fame exhibition, featuring trophies and memorabilia from generations of Penang badminton legends, including Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei’s medals, the Thomas Cup championship trophy, tournament programmes, and other keepsakes, offering guests a rare glimpse into Penang’s illustrious badminton history.
“Collecting these artefacts was no easy task. Our team travelled across the country, reaching out to former players and associates. Thanks to their generosity and cooperation, we successfully brought these invaluable items back to Penang,” he said.
He noted that the exhibition is the first of its kind in Penang’s badminton history, and PBA hopes to eventually establish a permanent badminton heritage gallery at its clubhouse to preserve the sport’s legacy and celebrate the association’s century-long achievements.
Previously, PBA had also sought veterans’ trophies and medals for centennial showcase. Those badminton legends were former Uber Cup representatives Lim Siew Choon and Khor Lay See; 1979 and 1982 Thomas Cup singles Saw Swee Leong; and former national doubles players Koay Kar Lin and Chuah Han Khim.
Other notable names were the winning 1967 Thomas Cup captain Datuk Teh Kew San, Datuk Tan Aik Huang and Datuk Yew Cheng Hoe; and Malaysia Purple League chief executive officer Datuk Jack Koh.
Former national shuttlers and Penangites Chan Peng Soon and Goh Jin Wei will also display their Olympic medals, trophies and rackets at the exhibition.
Among the distinguished guests expected to attend the gala dinner are Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, Lee, Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Deputy Chief Minister II Jagdeep Singh Deo, state Youth, Sports and Health Committee chairman Daniel Gooi Zi Sen, Badminton World Federation (BWF) president Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria, and Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC) president Lin Hong-Dow, along with representatives from event sponsors.
