A great athlete who will long be remembered

CHUA Boon Huat had touched many hearts and some, including this scribe, are still shell-shocked at how his young and energetic life was plucked, leaving a vacuum hard to fill.

 

We met at a Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) buka puasa cum incentive function at the Park Royal Hotel in Bukit Bintang roughly seven hours before his death.

There was never an inkling that it would be the last time I would meet him.
I remember how I made my way to the dinner table after a press conference with MHC president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and noticed no available chairs. I picked one up from the back of the banquet hall and coincidentally, or by fate, placed it next to Chua.

With a wide smile, he greeted me: "Bro, how have you been keeping these days?"
"Not too bad," I replied, and just then, Tengku Abdullah walked by and said: "You are looking good Chua. You have lost some weight (since the World League semi-finals in Johor Baru). Keep it up as we need you at your best in Ipoh."

Turning to the scribe, Tengku Abdullah looked at my pot belly and said: "You have also lost some weight."

And I replied with a joke: "Tengku, did you know that Peter Butler has tweeted that he wants to be the director of coaching for FAM (after news broke that the Malaysian football team had lost 5-0 to second division Japanese club Tokyo Verdy)."

Tengku Abdullah, who had, at the press conference, earlier said he did not want to talk about the football team as it would only spoil his appetite, gave this reporter an annoyed look and remarked: "Well, he can apply, anybody can apply."

Tengku Abdullah walked away, and Chua pulled at my sleeves and said: "Bro, he just told you in the press conference that he did not want to talk about football and now you have spoilt his appetite!", to which I replied: "That only means we will have a bigger share of the spread."
Chua let out a hearty laugh. Getting serious, I asked him if Malaysia really needed foreign coaches in football and hockey.

Chua looked around and then told me a shocker, and when I told him I would write about it, he said: "No lah bro! Don't write that because it will only hurt many people.
"But if you ask me about hockey, I feel we did the right thing with Paul (Revington). You know bro, I am not the type who enjoys training, but under Paul, I am actually enjoying every moment as there is never a dull moment.

"Also, you know, it's something funny, but I'm learning things that should have been taught to me 10 years ago, but only now under Paul am I learning!

"Everyone in the team is enjoying training and is motivated. Before this, we entered the pitch and played to our own strengths, our own special skills, and nobody before this told us even how to trap the ball properly on the run and attack.

"Things are changing and bro, you can also see that we were just unlucky in the England and Pakistan matches in Johor."

Chua wore a big smile when I asked him about playing in the Asia Cup at his favourite hunting ground, the Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh.

"Ya lah bro, I have scored some super goals in the Azlan Shah (Cup). The Ipoh crowd is super. Let's see how I can make them cheer even louder (in the Asia Cup)."
Just then, a television crew walked up and asked Chua for an interview, to which he obliged, and they recorded his last moments.

He was the only Chinese in the senior side for the last two decades, and you would want him on your side in a match, and also a party.
Coach Revington had this fitting finale to say: "Since I came to Malaysia, not a day went by when I was not extremely thankful that Chua was in our locker room and on our side.

"I have admired Chua since I first watched him in the 2000 Olympics, then in Hobart 2001 and always secretly hoped I would get an opportunity to coach him.
"A great athlete and warrior, he was."

Gone today my friend, but you'll be forever remembered.

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