The 2020 Tokyo Olympics has become a trending topic in the last few weeks.
Even though the world is in the middle of a pandemic, Japan has been doing well in regards to their duty as a host by implementing strict SOPs throughout the organization of the Games.
Malaysia’s badminton men's doubles Aaron Chia and Soh Wooh Yik as well as national cyclist Datuk Azizulhasni Awang brought home the bronze and silver medal for Malaysia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In-line with the spirit of supporting Malaysian athletes, Tourism Selangor features 3 sportsmen from Selangor and the places you can visit around the State to remember and appreciate their contributions in the world of sports.
Dato’ Mokhtar Dahari (Selangor Football Museum, Alam Shah Palace, Klang)
This legendary football player who hailed from Selangor was born on 13 November 1953.
Dato’ Mokhtar Dahari, also known as Supermokh was famous for his skills and strength in football. He had also managed to score 89 goals in 142 international matches and had been the best scorer of all time for the Malaysian team.
Dato’ Mokhtar Dahari had also been named by FIFA as the third international top scorer of all time after Ali Daei and the famous Portugese footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Apart from that, Dato' Mokhtar Dahari also helped Selangor win 10 Malaysia Cups throughout his career while playing for Selangor FA, and to remember his achievements, football fans can visit the Selangor Football Museum located at Istana Alam Shah, Klang to commemorate this local football star’s contributions and explore the history and personal collection by DYMM Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj.
The Selangor jersey of the late Dato’ Mokhtar Dahari is also displayed in this museum to honour his role as a Selangor football player.
If you are interested in visiting this museum, make sure you gather some of your peers and make a group-visit application to Dato' Pengelola Bijaya Diraja at DYMM Sultan of Selangor’s office.
Arumugam Rengasamy (Datuk R Arumugam Mini Stadium, Klang)
Apart from Dato' Mokhtar Dahari, Datuk R Arumugam was also a football legend from Selangor.
Datuk R Arumugam who was also known as ‘Spiderman’ helped the Malaysian national football team win a bronze medal in the 1974 Asian Games in Tehran which to this day is still considered as the biggest achievement in the history of national football.
Due to his skill in saving goals from the opponents' attacks and his expertise in rescuing the ball from difficult angles, he also helped Malaysian national football team qualify for the Moscow Olympics 1980 which at the time had defeated the South Korea team by 2-1.
In 2018, in commemorating the services of Datuk R Arumugam, DYMM Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj and Klang Municipal Council have changed the name of Stadium Jalan Pekeliling, Port Klang to Datuk R Arumugam Mini Stadium.
This place can be visited by the public for recreational purposes and youngsters may gain inspiration towards achieving their dreams based on Datuk R Arumugam’s story of excellence.
Sidek Brothers (Badminton Monument, Banting)
Who does not know Malaysia’s badminton legends; the Sidek brothers?
The siblings, who are famous for their animated adaptation series and comic titled 'Anak-Anak Sidek' started receiving training from their father, Dato’ Haji Sidek Abdullah Kamar in front of their house located in Banting, Selangor when they were young.
Not only famous for their story-based animation and comic, the siblings; Datuk Misbun Sidek, Datuk Jalani Sidek, Datuk Razif Sidek, Datuk Rashid Sidek and Rahman Sidek also managed to participate in various prestigious badminton tournaments including the SEA Games, World Badminton Grand Prix, The Thomas Cup and also the All-England Open Badminton Championships.
In 1985, the siblings participated in an international tournament, the Hong Kong Open making them the largest family to represent the country on the international stage.
Badminton fans can visit the Sidek Brothers’ Badminton Monument located in the town of Banting within the compound of the late Dato’ Haji Sidek’s house. The monument was built to commemorate the contributions of the Sidek family in mapping the country in the badminton arena both domestically and internationally.
The contributions and fantastic achievements of these 3 Selangor’s sportsmen should not ever be forgotten.
So, what are you waiting for?! Jom lah plan a visit to these places with your friends and family, to remember and appreciate their contributions to the country in the sports arena.
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
