Team set to celebrate 1975 World Cup feat in May
PETALING JAYA: It has been 50 years since what was surely one of Malaysia’s greatest sporting moments – when the men’s national hockey squad of 1975 stunned the best in the world.
The country almost made it to the final of that year’s World Cup, and had powerhouse India by the scruff of their neck before narrowly losing 2-3 in the semi-finals.
They finished fourth, going down to Germany in the third and fourth place playoffs of 1975.
The memories of that scintillating semi-final in the tournament hosted by Malaysia are still fresh in the minds of older fans and the players.
And the players will get a chance to rekindle those memories in a planned 50th anniversary celebration of that 1975 feat in May.
Many of the former players are based abroad but will be making the effort to attend the celebration to remember Malaysian hockey’s best ever achievement at an international outing to date.
Local legends: Captain Sri Shanmuganathan (back row, fourth from left), Balasingam (front row, fourth from left) and the rest of 1975 hockey team that put Malaysia on the map. — MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
The country finished in the top eight at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics, and won a bronze medal at the 1974 Asian Games but that 1975 tournament was the one to relish.
Recalling Malaysia’s historic game against defending champions the Netherlands in the final group game, skipper Datuk N. Sri Shanmuganathan said the score was tied 1-1 up until the dying minutes of the match.
In the last two minutes, Malaysia was rewarded with a short corner.
The first corner was turned over the line, resulting in a second one. This time, the Malaysians were clinical.
“Franco D’ Cruz pushed the ball, which was stopped perfectly by Wong Choon Hin and I had a straight drive. And it was 2-1,” the 78-year-old Olympian and hockey legend said in an interview.
The crowd of about 15,000 fans at the Kilat Club ground in Jalan Bangsar erupted and flooded the field with just seconds to spare in the game.
“I never thought about celebrating after scoring. My mindset was that if I can score, the opponent can, too.
Fond memories: Sri Shan recalling his days on the hockey field. — MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
“As I ran back to my position, the crowd burst onto the pitch. I was stopped midway and they lifted me up,” said the penalty corner specialist.
Soon after the restart, the final whistle blew and the match was over.
Malaysia had beaten the mighty reigning champions and were poised for a top four finish.
That game also coincided with then prime minister, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein’s birthday, who called it as “the best birthday present my hockey boys have given me”.
And he had birthday presents for the team, too. All members of the squad received an Omega gold watch.
Sri Shanmuganathan also recalled seeing the emotions of the late Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, an avid hockey enthusiast who later helmed the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF), after the match.
“You could see his tears flowing after the game. That reflected the involvement of top officials in the team,” said the man known more fondly as Sri Shan.
That’s me: Balasingam’s office is decked with memorabilia from his hockey career.
The Malaysians were not called the Tigers for nothing – they were fighters.
Against India in the semi-finals, a thunderbolt from India’s Surijit Singh saw Sri Shan’s finger being split.
Despite the pain, he knew he couldn’t just walk off the Stadium Merdeka pitch.
“Once you have decided to play for the country, your mindset should be the country and the game. Everyone is waiting for the results,” said Sri Shan, who donned the national colours 125 times.
K. Balasingam, who was Malaysia’s fullback in the 1975 World Cup campaign, also vividly recalls the entire tournament.
In fact, everything is personally recorded in his diary. He has one diary for each year.
“We drew the two opening matches against New Zealand and Spain, followed by a 3-1 win against Poland, which boosted our spirits.
Hockey hero: M. Mahendran dribbling past a Dutch defender who slipped in his attempt to stop the Malaysian player. — THAM CHOON FATT/The Star
“After losing narrowly to Pakistan in the next game, we knew we had to beat the Netherlands. We couldn’t even afford a draw,” he said.
In the lead up to the match against the Netherlands, Balasingam said supporters lined the streets from the Merlin Hotel (now Concorde) where the team stayed all the way to the Kilat Club ground.
“The emotions were flowing after we scored the winning goal, but we immediately ran back. There was no such thing as crying or hugging. The job wasn’t done yet,” said Balasingam, now executive director of a project and construction firm.
Balasingam also recalled his World Cup duel against Pakistan’s Samiullah Khan, who he described as the world’s best left winger at that time.
“I played my best game. The coach (Ho Koh Chye) told me exactly what to do when marking him, and Samiullah just couldn’t move,” he quipped.
Balasingam said it was a joy and honour to wear the Malaysian jersey, adding that more recognition should be given to ex-national sportsmen.
“We all sacrificed blood, sweat and tears,” he said, advising the current batch of athletes to wear the badge with pride and give their all for the nation.
On May 18, the 1975 team will get together alongside other national athletes from that era at the event organised by Sports Flame.
The highlight this year is recognising the 1975 Malaysia men’s hockey team achievements and also the late R. Velu, for his contributions to the sports scene in Malaysia.
