Veteran sports administrator Chan Fong Keong received a heartfelt tribute from the Table Tennis Association of Malaysia (TTAM) yesterday for his immense contributions to the sport.
At 83 years old, Chan retired last year after dedicating over five decades of service to table tennis, both domestically and internationally. In recognition of his unwavering commitment, TTAM president Datuk Seri Tee Lip Sin presented Chan with a token of appreciation, celebrating his sacrifice and outstanding contributions over the years.
Chan’s extensive involvement included serving as TTAM’s secretary-general, later as executive secretary, and holding significant roles within the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), the Asian Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), and the Commonwealth Table Tennis Federation (CTTF).
“I have been involved in table tennis (administration) since the 1960s and helped organize the 1965 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games followed by the SEA Games from the 1970s,” shared Chan.
He continued, “I also became the technical committee chairman for the ITTF and the ATTF. I have spent over five decades in the sport; it has been a very long time.”
In recognition of his enduring impact, Chan received the ATTF Outstanding Contribution Award and the CTTF Life Member Award in 2019.
Reflecting on the present state of Malaysian table tennis, Chan expressed delight in the national team’s recent accomplishments.
“They (players) have done very well. It is not easy to win medals at the Asian level. Asian countries are very strong at table tennis; all the world champions are from Asia,” he noted.
Chan further encouraged the athletes, emphasizing, “I hope the players will continue to train hard and work on improving themselves. They must focus and not be overconfident.”
His optimism is well-founded. National doubles pair Javen Choong and Wong Qi Shen recently captured a historic bronze medal at the Asian Table Tennis Championships in Kazakhstan, defeating China’s world No. 1 pair along the way.
Earlier this year, in May, the national boys’ under-19 and under-15 teams achieved a milestone by clinching the team events at the Southeast Asian Championships in Kuala Lumpur—a first in Malaysia’s history.
Chan’s legacy, marked by decades of dedication and a deep passion for table tennis, continues to inspire Malaysia’s next generation of players as they strive for greater achievements on the international stage.
Source
