Hockey Personalities featuring... TAN SRI BASHIR AHMAD

Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad is a prominent public figure with over 40 years of involvement in the Malaysian airline industry. 

His contributions to Malaysia Airlines, a company he joined as a founding staff back in 1972 (in his words - “back when MAS did not own an airplane yet!” ), and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), as the Managing Director since 2003, is well known to all.

However, what the papers do not report is his passion for sports and his involvement in the sport of hockey!

Born in the Pearl of the Orient, Penang in 1949 and schooled in the famous Penang Free School, Tan Sri had developed a keen interest in hockey at a young age.
 
He began by playing hockey for the school and later for the university besides representing the state U-23. His usual playing position is centre-forward or right-inside in the traditional Pyramid system. Whilst he did also enjoy

playing football, rugby and cricket at school and university, hockey had always been his main game.

Upon graduating from University Malaya and joining Malaysia Airlines, he decided to give up competitive hockey and focus on his work which did involve quite a bit of travelling. However, he still wanted to play some hockey and was faced with the problem of where to continue his passion for hockey!

A much younger Tan Sri Bashir back in 1985!

So, Tan Sri Bashir joined the Royal Selangor Club in 1973 as a Sports Member. All he wanted to do then was to continue playing hockey and this was the main reason he joined RSC!

Back then, the hockey games were organised 3 times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and played at what is now known as Dataran Merdeka. He joined the club together with a group of young players from University Malaya that also played for RSC in the 1970s. These, then young players, formed the backbone of the hockey team and they participated in the top division (Division 1) of the KL hockey league (known as Selangor Hockey League, back then). Even during his short stint in Singapore in 1975 and then later a posting back to Penang for 2 years, he continued to play for our affiliate clubs, the Singapore Cricket Club and the Penang Sports Club.

He finally decided to take up full membership at RSC in 1978, and is still a club and hockey section member until today.

Back in the days of wooden hockey sticks and bamboo hockey pads!

Tan Sri Bashir continued to play for RSC up till the early 2000s when he retired from hockey. However, every once in a while, the itch to get back onto the hockey pitch would prove too tempting and he would join the Sultan Ahmad Shah (SAS) Veterans for tournaments from time to time. He also represented the Malaysian Senior Veterans for the Veterans Tournament in conjunction with the World Cup 2002, which emerged as Champions! He says playing in these tournaments gave him the pleasure of playing beside some of the best Malaysian players of the time.

He was a Vice President of the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF), now known as Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC), from 2001 till 2008 and headed the Competitions Committee organising the National Hockey League and various other tournaments throughout Malaysia.

Tan Sri Bashir with ex-national players from the 1975 World Cup Team (L-R) Dato' Shan (Captain), Coach Param, Wong Choon Hin, Dato' Poon Fook Loke, Patmaraja and Ow Soon Kooi, taken at the recent FIH World Congress in Kuala Lumpur

“I believe that for those of us who have had the good fortune to be able to participate in sports, we must try and give back to the sporting fraternity so that others, especially the younger generation can enjoy sports as well. We must find ways of doing so!” he said.

Tan Sri Bashir tried to inculcate interest in sports in whichever organisation he was in. He organised and participated in the first inter-departmental football game in Malaysia Airlines and was manager of the team that first took part in the Inter-Airlines Tournament, which happened to be basketball, even though he himself did not play basketball. His involvement in sports in Malaysia Airlines continued and he soon became President of Kelab Sukan Mas in 1994 until 2001. For his contribution to sports in Malaysia Airlines, he was made the Honorary Life President of the Club.

Upon joining MAHB, Tan Sri Bashir continued to promote sports in the company. He himself would take part in various games so as to set an example for the staff to follow.

Tan Sri Bashir believes that companies should try and provide sporting facilities for their staff and he is pleased that in MAHB, he is able to do just that. Recently, a new football field, netball and basketball courts as well as a gym, were constructed at the Corporate Head Office in KLIA. This will soon be followed by tennis courts. These facilities will provide an avenue for the staff to participate in sporting activities.

For the longer term, Tan Sri Bashir has obtained approval from the Board to build a sports complex with a stadium to serve the community at KLIA. This will enable the staff of airlines and agencies to have access to sporting facilities.

Tan Sri Bashir still runs and swims regularly to maintain his fitness. There is an occasional game of golf but he hopes to be able to find more time for golf in the future. This passion for sports also runs deep in his family. His wife, Puan Sri Annette Bashir, is an ardent tennis player, while his son actively plays futsal, rugby and golf.

Tan Sri - Hope to see you on the hockey pitch sometime!