Sporting landmarks in the city
Bukit Jalil at its best.
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IT IS commonly assumed that the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur heralded the boom of sports infrastructure in our country, but the truth is it that it dates to well before that.
It could be said that the first major sports facility in the city was built back in the 1950s, when Stadium Merdeka first opened its doors in August 1957, to commemorate Malaysia's independence.
The prestigious Merdeka Tournament (football) was first held at the Stadium Merdeka, with Hong Kong emerging as inaugural champions.
The Tournament soon established itself as one of the most prestigious football tournaments in Asia.
Malaysia (then known as Malaya) won the tournament for the first time in 1958 and went on to lift the cup 11 times. Malaysia's last victory came last year when the Harimau Muda team defeated Myanmar in a rain-soaked final at the Darulmakmur Stadium, Pahang.
The 1988 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony of in Bukit Jalil Stadium.
Datuk Santokh Singh, who played for Malaysia during the 70s and 80s, said that Stadium Merdeka is a historical monument and he has many fond memories of the stadium.
Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona (second from left) dribbles past Santokh Singh and Wong Hung Nung (far left) during a friendly match between Selangor and Boca Juniors at Stadium Merdeka in 1982. Starpix by MOK YONG
"We achieved independence in that stadium. We qualified for the 1980 Olympics in that stadium. We won the 1977 SEA Games gold medal in that stadium too.
"I will never forget the moments I've experienced there. Even Malaysians won't forget the historical events in this stadium.
"Whenever we played, the atmosphere was electric. Fans would come in droves to support the national team and we as players, had to do well in each game for the fans and the nation," said Santokh.
Sabahan winger Hassan Sani, who played in the stadium during the 70s and 80s, felt that every game he played there was a blessing and the atmosphere was one of the best he had ever experienced.
It was at this very stadium where Hassan dribbled past two players to set up a pass to James Wong who scored - a move that qualified the national team for the 1980 Olympics.
"Whenever Malaysia played, the stadium would be full. The fans' chants and cheers drove us to greater heights and the atmosphere at the 1980 Olympics qualification game against South Korea was amazing," said Hassan.
Malaysia hosted its first SEA (South-east Asian) games in 1965, when Kuala Lumpur hosted the third edition of the games. Malaysia finished second behind Thailand by winning 33 gold medals.
Fireworks light up the sky above the stadium during the 1988 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony.
The Malaysian Games, commonly known as Sukma, was held in Kuala Lumpur in 1986 at Stadium Merdeka,
In 1992, our badminton team won the Thomas Cup at Stadium Negara in 1992, the last time we won the Thomas Cup.
Hosting the Commonwealth Games proved to be a masterstroke, as Malaysia played host to world-class athletes. Local athletes did the nation proud and proved to be stiff competition for top sporting talents from around the world.
Malaysia finished in fourth place by winning 10 gold medals, Malaysia's most successful Commonwealth Games outing ever.
These sporting landmarks have produced many memorable moments and athletes that have done our country proud. We take a look at some stadiums, courses and complexes that will be forever be etched in the history of Malaysian sports.
Stadium Merdeka
Construction of this historic sporting venue began on Sept 25, 1956 and was completed by the middle of August the following year. Built at a cost of RM2.3mil, it has been the venue of numerous major sporting and non-sporting events. The stadium hosted the 1965, 1971 and 1989 SEA Games, 1975 Hockey World Cup and the Mohamed Ali-Joe Bugner world heavyweight boxing title bout in 1975.
Stadium Merdeka, which has a seating capacity of 40,000, was also the venue of the renowned Merdeka Tournament. The stadium's facilities include an eight-lane athletics track and a main pitch for football, hockey and rugby.
Workers at work building the historic Stadium Merdeka.
Stadium Negara
Just like Stadium Merdeka, this indoor stadium has had its share of history, the biggest being the Thomas Cup in May 17, 1992, which Malaysia won. The stadium has previously hosted the world championships for wushu, silat, taekwondo and sepaktakraw, besides international competitions in basketball, table-tennis, wrestling and boxing.
The triumphant Malaysian Thomas Cup-winning badminton team, just after securing the winning point.
Among the sporting legends who have graced the stadium are badminton greats like Zhao Jianhua and Yang Yang, as well as tennis aces Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander, and Gabriela Sabatini. Built at a cost of RM3mil in 1962, the stadium has a seating capacity of 10,000, but crammed in almost 12,000 fans during the 1992 Thomas Cup final.
Stadium Negara while it was still under construction.
Bukit Jalil National Stadium
The stadium is the most prominent sports structure at the National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil, which was built when Malaysia hosted the 1998 Commonwealth Games. It is one of the largest in the world with a 100,000-seat capacity, with facilities for both track and field events. It has also been used for numerous concerts.
After the Commonwealth Games, the National Stadium hosted many events such as the 2001 SEA Games and 2007 Asian Cup and is also the main football stadium for the national team. The likes of Ato Boldon, Dwain Chambers and Chandra Sturrup, all world-class sprinters, blazed its track during the Commonwealth games.
A bird's eye view of the National Sports Complex
National Hockey Stadium
The stadium has two pitches, conforming to international requirements for hosting tournaments. The main pitch has a seating capacity of 14,000 while the second pitch can seat 2,000. Both pitches are laid with AstroTurf System 90, an artificial turf which meets specifications set by the International Hockey Federation.
This stadium also hosted the 2002 Hockey World Cup in Kuala Lumpur.
The National Hockey Stadium.
National Aquatic Centre
The centre's most outstanding feature is its tapering roof, suspended from a giant inclined 99-metre steel mast. The roof is made from a single piece of membrane, making it the largest of its kind in the world. The 7,500sq m roof weighs 14 tonnes. The stadium has a 50m x 25m, 10-lane Olympic size competition swimming pool and a 20m x 50m, eight-lane training pool. It also has 25m x 25m, five-metre deep diving pool. The centre has a seating capacity of 4,000.
Swimmers jumping for gold at the National Aquatic Centre.
Mines Resort & Golf Club
The par-71, 6,224m golf course was built in 1993 and officially opened in 1994. The Robert Trent Jones Jr-designed course was developed around the world's largest open-cast tin mine. Then known as the Hong Fatt Mine, mining operations began in 1909 and ceased in 1982.
Golfing great Tiger Woods tees off from the 11th hole of the Mines Resort & Golf Club in 2012.
After mining operations were discontinued, the deep hole was filled by rainwater resulting in a lake about 2km long, 1km wide and 150m deep, covering an area of about 150 acres. Among the major events held at the course include the Men's World Cup of Golf in 1999, which saw the participation of golfers like Tiger Woods, Angel Cabrera and Colin Montgomerie.
