PETALING JAYA: Sports officials paid tribute to one of badminton’s top figures, Datuk Seri Dr Abdullah Fadzil Che Wan (pic), who once led the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) for seven years.
He breathed his last at 3am yesterday at a private hospital in the capital. He was 78.
BAM president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria, who described Dr Fadzil as humble and well liked by the players, coaches and officials, said his demise is a big loss to the association. “Our condolences to his family. His contribution to badminton and the sports fraternity will always be remembered. We will miss him dearly,” said Norza.
“He was part of the group that started the revival of the sport and we would not be where we are without the foundation he had established during the seven years under his leadership.
“He is a passionate sports leader, very down to earth and approachable and these were the qualities that had earned him a lot respect in the sports circle.”
Dr Fadzil took over from (the late) Tan Sri Elyas Omar as the BAM president in 1993 and helmed the association with passion and was always an approachable leader.
Dr Fadzil, who was born in Kuala Kangsar, was also a long serving politician where he served as the deputy foreign minister from 1987-1995 and also as the deputy defence minister from 1995-1999.
He had also served as the Bukit Gantang member of parliament from 1986-2004 but Dr Fadzil was more popular after his involvement in badminton in the 1980s.
The most notable success of Malaysia during his tenure was at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics where Cheah Soon Kit-Yap Kim Hock won a silver medal in the men’s doubles while Rashid Sidek secured a bronze medal in the men’s singles.
Dr Fadzil’s years also coincided with the decision of the Sidek brothers Misbun, Jalani, Rashid and Rahman Sidek to leave BAM and establish professional club Nusa Mahsuri in 1993.
He did not hold grudges with the Sideks and in fact, gave the green light to appoint another Sidek sibling Razif Sidek as the chief coach of the national team.
Dr Fadzil also led by example as he stuck to his promise by resigning in 2000 after Malaysia failed to reach the semi-finals of the Thomas Cup as hosts in the same year.
Dr Fadzil had taken the challenge by saying that he would leave if Malaysia failed in the Thomas Cup campaign and did so a couple of days after the competition.
