KUALA LUMPUR: The late Datuk Punch Gunalan (pic) was truly one of a kind.
The badminton legend excelled as a player, manager and administrator before passing away in 2012 at the age of 68.
Punch was well respected as the brains behind many innovations in the Badminton World Federation (BWF), which included the shortened scoring format, as their deputy president for more than a decade.
On the playing stage, Punch remains the only Malaysian shuttler to have won gold medals in both the men’s singles and doubles in a single Asian Games.
He achieved the feat in the 1970 Asiad in Bangkok where he captured gold in the men’s doubles with Ng Boon Bee.
The Kuala Lumpur Badminton Association (KLBA) held a ceremony to honour Punch’s memory before the final day of action in the KL Masters at the Titiwangsa Stadium yesterday.
Punch was a former KLBA president and wife Datin Vijeya Gunalan was emotional during the special event.
“I’m very grateful to KLBA for holding this occasion today (yesterday).
‘‘I feel really touched and happy,” said Vijeya.
BWF’s events manager M. Venugopal, who worked with Punch for more than 20 years from 1984, said: “His leadership qualities were incredible.
“He was always thinking ahead of time. Badminton was his whole life. He had the Midas touch both as a player and as an administrator.
“He was also a gem of a person and was always happy to help anyone.
“He was my role model during my own playing days. Honestly, he was one of a kind and can never be replaced.”
Punch had also won the doubles gold in the Commonwealth Games with Boon Bee in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1970.
He also captured the singles gold four years later in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Punch was known for his speed and power, and won numerous other accolades including the Asian Championships gold in 1969 in Manila in the men’s doubles.
He was also part of the 1970 Thomas Cup team that won silver in Kuala Lumpur.
Punch then played an important role as team manager when he guided Malaysia to gold in the 1992 Thomas Cup along with then Badminton Association of Malaysia president Tan Sri Elyas Omar.
