KUALA LUMPUR – The Tun Razak Hockey Stadium was filled with countless superstars as players from different eras assembled to honour their mentor and former coach, C. Paramalingam, by gracing a friendly tournament named after the former Olympian.
Dubbed the C. Paramalingam Legends Trophy, the tournament featured six teams – with iconic hockey figures such as Datuk Mirnawan Nawawi, Soon Mustafa Karim, Shankar Ramu, Maninderjit Singh and Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain stepping onto the turf to showcase their prowess.
Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), Maybank, Royal Malay Regiment (RGM), Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN), Ex-Malaysia and Klang Municipal Council (MPK) were the six teams to participate.
Mirnawan, who was the national team captain at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the 2000 Sydney Olympics, said he was delighted to be playing in front of his role model and to meet his former teammates again.
“I was excited to join today’s tournament as I managed to meet my friends who were once my teammates at the national-team level and also at the club level in the 80s and 90s.
“Coach Param has also been a role model and mentor for me during my time playing for Bank Simpanan Nasional and when I was in the national youth team in 1991. I’m happy to be a part of this tournament that honours his name.
“It’s good to see players from RGM, MPK and BSN being part of the tournament as these teams used to play in the Malaysia Hockey League back in the days.
“Most of them are no longer active in the game, and they have ventured into other parts of their career. So, this tournament is a perfect platform for me to get together with them,” said Mirnawan.
Bukit Aman’s criminal investigation department director, Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain, who played for Klang Municipal Council in the tournament, said it rekindled great memories with his friends – former national players with whom he used to spar during his time playing for Kuala Lumpur and the Selangor state team.
“For me, I started my journey at this stadium as I used to watch and play in local and international tournaments in this stadium.
“This tournament was a good flashback to what we had many years ago, and it was great to be with all my friends in this tournament.
“Sports unites, and that is why we are all here to honour coach Param as he has been such an influential figure throughout our journey. We are looking forward to having this tournament as an annual event so that we can celebrate him and other legends of the game as well,” said Shuhaily.
Meanwhile, Maninderjit, who represented the Speedy Tigers in two Olympics (1996 in Atlanta and 2000 in Sydney), said participating in today’s tournament was by far one of the best moments of his career.
“This is indeed the best moment in my career and my life. Coach Param has been my pillar throughout my journey as a hockey player, and without his coaching, I would not be where I am today.
“He not only guided and helped me, but he has also helped bring out the best in so many players from across the country. It’s an honour for me to play in front of him once again, and I will never forget this beautiful day. Whenever I play in front of Coach Param, I always feel like a schoolboy.
“More than that, I also need to thank the organising committee for coming up with such a wonderful initiative, and I hope to keep honouring Coach Param by playing in this tournament on a regular basis,” said Maninderjit.
Paramalingam, aged 90, left an indelible mark on Malaysian hockey, both as a player and coach.
His illustrious playing career spanned from 1956 to 1970, during which he showcased his exceptional skills and leadership on the field.
At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, he was among the top scorers, netting nine goals for Malaysia.
His coaching tenure included guiding Malaysia at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
The inaugural edition of the C. Paramalingam Legends Trophy was won by BSN as they defeated TNB 1-0, with Ariffin Abdul Ghani, who played for Malaysia at the 1989 Junior World Cup, scoring the only goal of the match.
Maybank finished third after defeating the Ex-Malaysia team 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal time. – March 10, 2024