Just reward for former ace shuttler

FORMER badminton great Rosalind Singha Ang was honoured with a Datukship by the Sultan of Kedah on his 85th birthday celebration this year.

She was among 60 people bestowed the Datukship by Kedah Council of Regency chairman Tan Sri Tunku Annuar Sultan Badlishah at the investiture ceremony held at the Istana Anak Bukit on Sunday.

Ang was awarded the Darjah Setia DiRaja Kedah (DSDK) which carries the title Datuk.

Asked for her reaction on hearing news of the award, she said she got goose pimples and she was really happy to be honoured by the Sultan.

She ruled the badminton courts from 1964 to 1975. With her as the pillar of strength, Kedah dominated the badminton scene to win the then prestigious inter-state Heah Joo Seang Cup competition for four years from 1964.

She was crowned national single champion twice and doubles champion thrice with the late Teoh Siew Yong who was her regular partner. She faced strong opposition from famous players like Yap Hei Lin (Penang), Sylvia Ng and Ong Ah Hong (both of Johor) and Katherine Teh (Selan-gor) to stay on top during her reign.

Ang had worked as a bank officer with Malayan Banking Berhad for 20 years before joining a private company dealing in quarry works as an executive director to this day.

Recalling her days in badminton, she said: “In my 15 years involvement in badminton, I gave my everything, and the man responsible for my success was the late Kedah BA president Dr Sundara Rajan.

“I do not regret the sacrifices I made. I won state, national and international titles for my state and country.”

Ang made the headlines in her international debut, by winning the SEAP Games singles gold medal in 1965 when she was just 21 and ended her international career in glory by lifting the 1975 SEAP Games singles, mixed doubles and team gold medals.

She featured in three major international tournaments in 1966. She lost to Japan’s Noriko Takagi in the singles quarter-finals at the All-England tournament, won the Asian Games mixed doubles with Teh Kew San in Bangkok and won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica.

She went on to bag two more bronze medals at the Common-wealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1970 and 1974 respectively.

After retiring from the international badminton scene in 1975, she continued to play in local tournaments for the next two years before venturing into coaching.

After a year’s involvement in coaching (1978) she called it quits and turned her attention to golf and business and has been at it for the past 32 years.