2008 National Sports Awards: Chong Wei, Nicol the stars

IT was inevitable that Lee Chong Wei and Nicol David rose to receive just rewards as Malaysia’s best athletes of 2008 last night.

That was the benchmark in Malaysian sport for 2008, despite some impressive achievements by other sports. It was Chong Wei’s second Sportsman of the Year award, while Nicol took home her sixth Sportswoman award.

Archers Cheng Chu Sian, Muhammad Marbawi Sulaiman and Wan Mohd Khalmizam Wan Abdul Aziz, who finished sixth in the Olympic team event last year after delivering an Asian Grand Prix gold medal and a World Cup silver medal, took home the men’s Team of the Year award.

Nicol also was the backbone of the Women’s Team of the Year, the squash team that included Sharon Wee, Delia Arnold and Low Wee Wern, who won the Asian championship and were third in the world meet last year.

The 26-year old Chong Wei’s three titles last year, capped by the Beijing Olympics silver medal, was by far the best achievement of any of the Malaysian men on the international stage.
It was also a double of sorts for badminton as Chong Wei’s coach Misbun Sidek received the honour as men’s Coach of the Year.

Nicol, also 26, was a unanimous choice with the panel and was the favourite from the start.

With her swashbuckling unbeaten run that swept a perfect 10 titles out of 10, along with the World Open title and World No 1 status throughout the year, there simply wasn’t any other achievement that came close to matching the squash icon’s feat last year.

“I am proud of this honour as it is my sixth time receiving this award. This will push me to continue doing my best for the country and will keep on playing squash as long as my body permits,” Nicol said.

Chong Wei wasn’t present to receive his award from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin last night as he is competing in the India Open that starts today.

“It is an honour to win the award for the second time. I hope it will spur me to achieve greater success. My aim this year is to do better in the World Championships,” said Chong Wei when contacted in Hyderabad, India.

But of the absentees at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel ballroom last night, the one that touched most hearts was that of the late Datuk Ho Koh Chye, who was duly accorded the Sports Leadership Award.

The long-serving athlete, coach, manager, administrator and New Straits Times columnist died on Dec 3 last year.