Hall of Fame

Rosalind Singha Ang

Category: Athlete
Sport: Badminton
Year Inducted: 2004

The woman who has been labelled as the shuttle queen Rosalind Singha Ang crafted her name through badminton, strangely though, Rosalind's first medal – a silver – did not come from badminton. She won it in a cycling event held during the Merdeka Celebration in Penang in 1957. This remarkable lady and a former national star was born in Kedah in the early 1940s.

The 1964 Malaysia Open witnessed her first of many other winnings along with Teoh Siew Yong in women’s doubles. She later crafted her way through this annual badminton event by winning the women’s singles in 1965. The same year where she held and claimed the women’s doubles title too. This was the start of her golden affair with the SEAP Games until 1975. Though she had to settle for the singles silver. In 1967, she won the doubles gold with Teoh and repeated the effort in 1969.

However, the most memorable triumph Rosalind made was the capturing of the 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok. She was a greenhorn and partnered with Teh Kew San in the mixed doubles. They did well to reach the final and were up against the Malaysian giants Eddy Choong and Tan Gaik Bee. Taking the first serve but it was tapped with such ferocity by Eddy that the shuttle hit her head, though was shaken aback but her partner Kew San told to not fall for the intimidation and believe in herself.

With believe came reality, they won the gold and it was her first gold in Asia. Needless to say Rosalind was the last Malaysian lady to win a badminton tournament at the highest level- the Malaysian Open in 1965.The 1965 Malaysian Open women’s singles badminton champion

About 10 years after retirement, she got involved with golf quitting her bank job to find more time for the game. However, Rosalind, who is in her 60s, has been out of touch with sports since venturing into her own business in 1979. Though nailed as a shutter queen then she still remains one now, though in a different field.

Women athletes have come a long way since the trail-blazing days of M. Rajamani, Rosalind Singha Ang and Zaiton Othman. So meteoric has been there that these stalwarts believe that it is only a matter of time before a woman wins Malaysia’s first Olympic gold medal.

Achievements
1964 Malaysia Open (Doubles) - Gold
1965 Malaysia Open (Singles) – Gold
1965 Southeast Asian Games – Gold
1966 Asian Games (Doubles) - Gold
1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games (Doubles) – Bronze
1970 British Commonwealth Games (Doubles) – Bronze
1971 Southeast Asian Games (Singles) – Gold

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