It’s Datuk Ow Soon Kooi now

FORMER national hockey captain Ow Soon Kooi (pic), who is now the Penang State Hockey Association president, was conferred the Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang (DIMP) in conjunction with the Sultan of Pahang’s 81st birthday. Soon Kooi received the award yesterday morning in Pekan.

Soon Kooi played in the 1978 and 1982 World Cups as well as the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and 1984 Los Angles Olympics.

He also played in the 1974 Asian Games in Teheran where Malaysia won the bronze medal. Soon Kooi made his international debut in the 1973 Sea Games in Singapore where Malaysia were beaten to the gold medal by the hosts, the only time Malaysia never won gold in the regional tournament.

He represented Malaysia from 1973 until 1984.

Soon Kooi was the first Malaysian playing as a forward to skipper the national team since the 1956 Melbourne Olympics when centrehalf S. Selvanayagam was accorded the honour.

He is probably the only player to have broken his nose twice while donning national colours -- the first being in the 1975 Sea Games and the second time when a freehit taken by Pakistan’s all-time great Akhtar Rasool was deflected into his face during the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.

Soon Kooi is a product of Penang Free School. He represented PFS’s Under-15 team when he was in Form Two.

After school, Soon Kooi joined Penang Port Commission as a fireman and it was during this time that he went back to the books to complete and pass his Senior Cambridge. Two years later he joined the Police as an Inspector, with which he remained for 18 years.

Soon Kooi is now a successful businessman. He is the chairman of Olympic Sports Hotel and a director of Waz Lian Group of Companies. He has also served the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) as disciplinary board member and independent council member.