PETALING JAYA: Former national badminton great Datuk Teh Kew San (pic) may be silent off court but he always lit up over badminton.
Kew San passed away on Thursday at the age of 91 after previously being admitted to hospital due to illness.
The 1967 Thomas Cup winning team’s captain was passionate about the sport and he always enjoyed sharing his knowledge and experiences with the younger generation.
He also remained active in badminton well into his 80s
And former national high-performance director Datuk James Selvaraj aptly described Kew San as a quiet man who would come alive whenever badminton was brought up in conversation.
“He was a quiet person, but whenever you asked him about badminton, he would never hesitate to share his advice,” said James.
“The players in Penang would really enjoy listening to his stories and experiences because he truly loved badminton.’’
James also considered himself fortunate to have watched Kew San and several other legends train in preparation for the 1967 Thomas Cup in Jakarta.
At the time, the national squad underwent intensive training at the Selangor Badminton Association Hall in Kampung Attap.
“So, I learned a lot from there. That was where my love for badminton really grew because I had the chance to watch him train and play with the rest of the Thomas Cup team,” added James.
Kew San later helped Malaysia end a 12-year wait for the Thomas Cup after the national team last won the title in Singapore in 1955.
More impressively, Malaysia achieved the feat on Indonesian soil after defeating the hosts 6-3 in the final at Istora Senayan in Jakarta.
Only three members of the 1967 Thomas Cup-winning squad are still with us today — Datuk Tan Aik Huang, Datuk Yew Cheng Hoe and Datuk Billy Ng.
Datuk Tan Yee Khan passed away on Jan 28 this year.
Kew San also won the All-England men’s doubles title with Lim Say Hup in 1959 and came close to defending the crown the following year before losing in the final to Denmark’s Finn Kobbero-Poul Erik Nielsen.
He also captured the Asian men’s singles title in Kuala Lumpur in 1962 after defeating fellow Malaysian Billy in the final.
Kew San also partnered Ng Mei Ling in mixed doubles and won the Malaysian Open twice, first in 1962 before adding another title in 1965.
