PETALING JAYA: Aquatics and squash were the big winners as the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) Awards Night made a return after a five-year absence yesterday.
Swimmer Khiew Hoe Yean received a timely boost to his efforts to stamp his mark in the ongoing World Shortcourse Swimming Championships in Budapest, Hungary, when he was named as the male Olympian of the Year winner for 2023.
Hoe Yean successfully retained his men’s 200m freestyle title at the Cambodia SEA Games and also splashed to two silvers (400m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay) and two bronzes (200m backstroke, 4x200m freestyle relay).
The 22-year-old from Kuala Lumpur, who qualified for the Paris Olympics this year, is in Budapest for the world shortcourse meet.
Nur Dhabitah Sabri was named the female Olympian winner for 2021, also based on the Vietnam SEA Games outing.
Dhabitah, also from KL, claimed the first gold medal for the Malaysian contingent in Hanoi after winning the 1m springboard individual title and went on to partner Pandelela Rinong to win her second in the 10m platform synchro event.
National No. 1 Ng Eain Yow and S. Sivasangari also put squash in the limelight when the duo were deservingly named the male and female Olympian winners for 2022.
Eain Yow ended a 12-year drought in the individual event by winning gold for Malaysia at the Hangzhou Asian Games while Sivasangari made a wonderful rebound after a car crash just a year earlier to win gold.
Keirin cycling ace Azizulhasni Awang and men’s doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik were also announced as the Olympian winners for 2020 and 2024,.
Azizul sprinted to a silver in men’s keirin in the Tokyo Olympics while Aaron-Wooi Yik defended their men’s doubles bronze medal in the Paris Olympics in August.
Juwaidi Mazuki was named the male Olympian winner for 2021 based on his double gold feat in compound archery while Tan Cheong Min was the toast of wushu after she was named the female Olympian winner for 2023.
Cheong Min, from Melaka, delivered two gold medals for Malaysia at the Cambodia SEA Games last year.
Former Malaysia Swimming Federation secretary Mae Chen also made the aquatics fraternity proud after she was named the recipient of the OCM Women in Sports Award.
Mae, who has been involved in aquatics for two decades, is the 18th recipient of the award introduced in 2003.
A total of 23 national sports associations were also recognised for helping the Malaysian contingent achieve success and win gold medals at various multi-Games.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi presented the Olympian awards to the winners.
The OCM decided to postpone the Annual Awards pending the completion of the 2020-2024 Olympic cycle.
