ABOUT 40 former state and national badminton players gathered for dinner at a restaurant along Chulia Street in George Town last night — not merely for nostalgia, but to honour the coach who shaped their journeys on and off the court.
Now in its tenth year since 2017, the annual reunion has brought together former students of Khoo Tiang Oon, a teacher-coach who devoted 28 years to teaching and a further 12 years to lecturing before retiring six years ago. He is affectionately known as “Sir” among his students.
The gathering has continued to grow over the years, thanks largely to the steadfast efforts of Chan Boon Chin, Beh Chor Kai and Lee Chiao Mei, who have been the pillars of strength behind the initiative.
Chor Kai, 44, said the objective of the gathering, which is usually held during the Chinese New Year period, is to show appreciation for Tiang Oon’s services and contributions.
“We want to honour him for the impactful role he played in our lives. Because of his dedication and the values he instilled in us during training, we are deeply touched.
“I remember one incident when I lost in the quarter-finals of a badminton competition. I was very sad and cried. Sir saw me, consoled me and took me under his wings. That was when I realised what proper badminton training was really like. The training was free of charge,” Chor Kai recalled.
Through regular training, Chor Kai improved and went on to become the Penang schools Under-15 doubles champion with Tan Tong Hai in 1996. They later won the national schools (MSSM) Under-18 doubles title in 1999.
“Sir taught us the importance of footwork and other basic skills. It wasn’t just about badminton — he also modelled how to live rightly. When we entered the real world, we carried those lessons with us and seized opportunities to develop our lives,” he added.
In Chor Kai’s case, the lessons he learnt have stood him in good stead. He has been involved in helping to develop a badminton club in China — the Guangzhou De Xing Badminton Club in Guangzhou — for the past seven years.
Boon Chin, who played a prominent role in bringing the players together, described Tiang Oon as helpful and caring.
“We appreciate all his sacrifices and friendship. We also want to wish him good health,” said Boon Chin, who used to travel long distances during his school days from Seberang Perai to attend training on the island under Tiang Oon’s guidance
Chiao Mei, a sports officer with Universiti Sains Malaysia, is always the live wire of the gathering.
“We just want to say thank you to our Sir,” she quipped.
Another notable attendee was Loh Bok Sheang, 38, who has won the Penang Closed men’s singles title three times, men’s doubles 10 times and mixed doubles five times.
“I was a late starter at 14 years old. However, with Sir’s guidance, I managed to get into the Tunas Cemerlang Under-15 development programme. I improved a lot and went on to win the Under-15 title,” Bok Sheang said.
At age 20, Bok Sheang coached a badminton club in Germany and also played in the European league in 2010. After a one-year stint, he returned to Penang to run a sports shop at the Penang Badminton Hall in Bukit Dumbar and has since served as a committee member of the Penang Badminton Association.
In a short speech at the gathering, Tiang Oon expressed his appreciation to the attendees for making the reunion a success.
“I’m very grateful to all of them. I took up coaching mainly out of interest. They appreciate what I have done and shared with them, and that makes me very happy,” he said.
During his career, Tiang Oon held numerous positions, including Penang Schools Sports Council technical adviser for badminton (18 years); coach for Tunas Cemerlang (15 years); Universiti Putra Malaysia (four years); Universiti Sains Malaysia (five years); Penang Badminton Association (15 years); ASEAN Universities in Brunei (1996); ASEAN Schools in Brunei (1999); Asia Schools in Malaysia (2001); MSSM squad for SIPMA (two years); Penang’s MAKSAK (13 years); and Penang’s PESSCA (18 years).
In 2004, he was awarded the Jurulatih Berjasa by the Penang State Sports Council.
Although no longer actively coaching, Tiang Oon remains involved in the sport. During the recent Penang Badminton Association centennial celebration, he served on the organising committee and was the liaison officer for former great Datuk Yew Cheng Hoe, a member of Malaysia’s victorious 1976 Thomas Cup team.
Beyond the sumptuous dinner, the camaraderie, shared memories and enduring bond between teacher and students made it a truly meaningful evening for Tiang Oon.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by K.H. Ong and courtesy of Beh Chor Kai