A double Olympian (Montreal 1976, Los Angeles 1984), double world-cupper (Buenos Aires 1978, Bombay 1982) and the only Malaysian hockey captain (1979-1982) from the island state of Penang, Dato’ Ow Soon Kooi would have been a triple-Olympian had Malaysia not boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980!
With his list of hockey credentials and his current success as a businessman, no one would have guessed that Dato’ Ow failed his Senior Cambridge exams in 1971. According to him, it was due to his love for the game (some may say ‘addiction’!).
‘I was training on my own on the eve of the exams, and was on the field again after the paper!’ he said.
A late starter, Dato’ Ow took up the game only in Form 2, at the age of 14, playing for Penang Free School and subsequently for Penang state. Dato’ Ow was selected for the national hockey team in 1973, and made his debut in the SEAP Games, Singapore.
After leaving school, he went on to work as a waiter in a hotel, taking the night shift as it gave him an opportunity to continue playing hockey.
‘It was a good job. I would work from 11pm to 7am, then sleep through the morning, and head out for training in the afternoon. Then back to work again in the night’.
But despite this ‘convenient’ arrangement, his commitments to the national hockey team finally took its toll, and he had to leave his job.
He then took on various temporary jobs to make ends meet and even worked as a Milo boy for RM6 per assignment, during those difficult days.
When urged to reveal the secret of why Milo taste so much better when dispensed from the famous Milo trucks that we see during sporting events. He said - ‘It’s the way the Milo is chilled without ice, and the right mix’. He disclosed nothing else!
It seems hockey was getting him into trouble quite a bit, but it eventually turned out to be a blessing, when he secured a job as a fireman at the Penang Port Commission (PPC) in 1974 with the help of Othman Kamal, the Chief Fire Officer at PPC and the hockey convenor then.
He re-took his Senior Cambridge exams and finally passed in the same year, opening the door to better career opportunities. Dato’ Ow then applied and subsequently took up a position in the Royal Malaysian Police as an Inspector.
Dato’ Ow continued to impress on the hockey pitch and was appointed as captain of the national hockey team in 1979. He played in the traditional right-inside position and was selected as the Malaysian Hockey Player of the Year for 3 successive years from 1979-1981.
When asked if his children played hockey, Dato’ Ow recounted the story of how he himself discarded all his hockey sticks in order to advance in his career.
‘During an interview with my superior in the Royal Malaysian Police for a promotion, I was asked who would take care of the work in the office during my frequent time away due to hockey. It was for this reason that I did not get the promotion and from that day, I decided to give up hockey and focus on my career.’
‘It was also during that time, I told my children to focus on their studies so that they will have better career opportunities. They used to play hockey up till their teenage years, until that day.’
Dato’ Ow has shown that perseverance and hardwork certainly do pay. He currently holds directorship in several companies after venturing into the business world following his departure from the Royal Malaysian Police. Working hard has always been something this hockey legend believed in, whether on the field or off the field.
Having been through all the ups and downs of life, Dato’ Ow Soon Kooi believes that it was these challenges that made him the man he is today.
Despite giving up the game, Dato’ Ow continues to contribute to the hockey fraternity. He was active in the Malaysian Hockey scene up till last year, having been appointed as an independent council member in the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) by the Tengku Mahkota Pahang, who is the President of MHF.
As the current President of the Penang State Hockey Association (PSHA), he believes that we must focus on the 7-10 year old children to get them interested and master the basic hockey skills to build a multi-racial and multi-talented pool of players.
‘It’s not easy being the President of the PSHA, as there are many challenges facing us in the development of hockey in the state. But, I feel that it is time I gave something back to the game.’ He said.
He was conferred the Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang (DIMP) in 2012, which carries the title Dato’, for his contributions to the sport.
