Heah Hock Aun
| Heah Hock Aun 连福安 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Full name | Johnny Heah Hock Aun | ||||||||||||||
| Country | Malaysia | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 15 January 1932 Penang, British Malaya | ||||||||||||||
| Died | 7 May 2014 (aged 82) | ||||||||||||||
| Event | Men's singles & Men's doubles | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Heah Hock Aun, (Chinese: 連福安; 15 January 1932 – 7 May 2014) was a former Malayan (Malaysian) badminton player, known for his accuracy and touch, who excelled internationally during the 1950s.
Early life
Heah was born on 15 January 1932, in Penang, British Malaya. He was the son of Heah Joo Seang, a well-known rubber magnate, philanthropist and politician in Malaya.[1]
Career
Known as Johnny Heah while playing in Europe, he won men's singles at the Scottish Open in 1952, and was runner-up in men's singles to the celebrated Eddy Choong at the prestigious All-England Championships in 1953.[2] His most notable badminton achievement was winning men's doubles at the 1957 All-England's with American Joe Alston, beating Eddy Choong and his brother David.[3] Heah represented Malaya in the 1958 Thomas Cup (world team championship) Challenge Round, splitting his two doubles matches in Malaya's loss of the cup to Indonesia.[4]
Personal life
Heah married Amy Choong, cousin of the famous Malayan badminton players, David E. L. Choong and Eddy Choong, in 1955.[5]
Achievements
International tournaments
Men's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Scottish Open | Eddy Choong | 15–11, 15–8 | Winner |
| 1952 | Irish Open | Eddy Choong | 7–15, 11–15 | Runner-up |
| 1953 | All England Open | Eddy Choong | 4–15, 4–15 | Runner-up |
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Irish Open | Jim FitzGibbon | David Choong Eddy Choong |
11–15, 5–15 | Runner-up |
| 1957 | Singapore Open | Lim Say Hup | Ismail Marjan Ong Poh Lim |
10–15, 15–4, 15–7 | Winner |
| 1957 | All England Open | Joe Alston | David Choong Eddy Choong |
15–10, 16–17, 15–5 | Winner |
| 1958 | Malaysia Open | Lim Say Hup | Charoen Wattanasin Kamal Sudthivanich |
11–15, 11–15 | Runner-up |
| 1958 | Singapore Open | Lim Say Hup | Lim Say Wan Ong Poh Lim |
15–9, 15–7 | Winner |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Scottish Open | Joy Saunders | Tony Jordan Elisabeth O'Beirne |
15–10, 12–15, 15–10 | Winner |
| 1958 | Malaysia Open | Amy Heah | Lim Say Hup Tan Gaik Bee |
15–12, 4–15, 14–18 | Runner-up |
| 1958 | Singapore Open | Amy Heah | Lim Say Hup Jessie Ong |
15–8, 10–15, 15–17 | Runner-up |
References
- ^ "Amy Heah Admitted to Colony Bar". The Straits Times. 31 May 1958.
- ^ Herbert Scheele ed., The International Badminton Federation Handbook for 1967 (Canterbury, Kent, England: J. A. Jennings Ltd., 1967) 166, 262.
- ^ Scheele, 168.
- ^ Scheele, 78.
- ^ "Penang Badminton Couple Wed". The Straits Times. 18 July 1955.