Malaysia competed in the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar. The country was represented by 244 athletes competing in 23 of the 39 sports provided. Among the popular sports were aquatics, athletics, badminton, bodybuilding, bowling, cycling, hockey, football, golf, gymnastics, kabaddi, karate-do, sepak takraw, squash, table tennis, taekwondo, weightlifting and wushu. Athletes from Malaysia won overall 42 medals (including eight golds), and clinched the eleventh spot in the medal table. Abdullah Sani Karim was the chief of the delegation.
Medal summary
Medals by sport SportGold Silver Bronze TotalRank Athletics 0 1 1 2 16 Badminton 1 0 3 4 4 Bodybuilding 0 1 0 1 9 Bowling 3 3 0 6 2 Cue sports 0 1 0 1 9 Cycling 0 1 0 1 7 Diving 0 1 3 4 3 Equestrian 0 1 2 3 6 Gymnastics 0 1 0 1 6 Karate 0 4 3 7 8 Sailing 1 0 1 2 7 Sepaktakraw 0 2 1 3 4 Squash 2 1 1 4 1 Wushu 1 0 2 3 3 Total 8 17 17 42 11
Multiple medalists Malaysian competitors that have won at least two medals. NameSport Gold Silver BronzeTotal Esther Cheah Bowling 2 3 5 Shalin Zulkifli Bowling 1 1 2 Zandra Aziela Ibrahim Bowling 1 1 2 Koo Kien Keat Badminton 1 1 2 Tan Boon Heong Badminton 1 1 2 Azlan Mubin Sepaktakraw 2 2 Mohd Normanizam Ahmad Sepaktakraw 2 2 Muhd Futra Abdul Ghani Sepaktakraw 2 2 Sulaiman Salleh Sepaktakraw 2 2 Zulkarnain Arif Sepaktakraw 2 2 Azman Nasruddin Sepaktakraw 1 1 2 Qabil Ambak Mahamad Fathil Equestrian 1 1 2 Saufi Salleh Sepaktakraw 1 1 2 Elizabeth Jimie Diving 2 2 Lee Chong Wei Badminton 2 2 Leong Mun Yee Diving 2 2 Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari Badminton 2 2 Wong Pei Tty Badminton 2 2
Medallists The following Malaysian competitors won medals at the games; all dates are for December 2006. MedalNameSportEvent Date Koo Kien KeatTan Boon Heong Badminton Men's doubles 9 Aaron KongBen HengDaniel Lim Bowling Men's trios 6 Esther Cheah Bowling Women's singles 3 Esther CheahSharon KohWendy ChaiZandra Aziela IbrahimShalin ZulkifliChoy Poh Lai Bowling Women's team 8 Rufina Tan Sailing Women's optimist 12 Ong Beng Hee Squash Men's singles 14 Nicol David Squash Women's singles 14 Chai Fong Ying Wushu Women's taijiquan 13 Roslinda Samsu Athletics Women's pole vault 12 Sazali Samad Bodybuilding Men's 65 kg 8 Esther CheahZandra Aziela IbrahimShalin Zulkifli Bowling Women's trios 6 Esther Cheah Bowling Women's all-events 8 Esther Cheah Bowling Women's masters 10 Esther Kwan Suet Yee Cue sports Women's nine-ball singles 11 Josiah Ng Cycling Men's keirin 14 Rossharisham RoslanYeoh Ken Nee Diving Men's synchronised 3 metre springboard 10 Diani Lee ChengPutri Alia SorayaNur Quzandria Mahamad FathilQabil Ambak Mahamad Fathil Equestrian Team dressage 4 Ng Shu Wai Gymnastics Men's vault 6 Ku Jin Keat Karate Men's individual kata 12 Puvaneswaran Ramasamy Karate Men's kumite 55 kg 12 Kunasilan Lakanathan Karate Men's kumite 60 kg 12 Vasantha Marial Anthony Karate Women's kumite 48 kg 12 Normanizam AhmadSulaiman SallehFutra Abd GhaniAzlan MubinZulkarnain Arif Sepaktakraw Men's regu 10 Normanizam AhmadSulaiman SallehSaifudin HussinAhmad Sufi HashimFutra Abd GhaniAzlan MubinAzman NasruddinNoor Ariffin PawantehZulhafizazudin RosslanZulkarnain ArifRukman MustaphaSaufi Salleh Sepaktakraw Men's team 6 Mohd Azlan Iskandar Squash Men's singles 13 Noraseela Mohd Khalid Athletics Women's 400 metres hurdles 10 Lee Chong Wei Badminton Men's singles 9 Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd TazariWong Pei Tty Badminton Mixed doubles 8 Muhammad Hafiz HashimKoo Kien KeatKuan Beng HongLee Chong WeiLin Woon FuiMohd Fairuzizuan Mohd TazariTan Boon HeongWong Choong Hann Badminton Men's team 5 Elizabeth Jimie Diving Women's 1 metre springboard 12 Leong Mun Yee Diving Women's 3 metre springboard 13 Elizabeth JimieLeong Mun Yee Diving Women's synchronised 3 metre springboard 11 Qabil Ambak Mahamad Fathil Equestrian Individual dressage 5 Husref Malek Equestrian Individual eventing 8 Lim Yoke Wai Karate Men's kumite 65 kg 13 Lim Lee Lee Karate Women's individual kata 12 Yamini Gopalasamy Karate Women's kumite 60 kg 13 Nurul Elia Anuar Sailing Laser 4.7 12 Azman NasruddinSaiful Nizam MohdSaufi Salleh Sepaktakraw Men's double regu 13 Sharon Wee Squash Women's singles 14 Diana Bong Wushu Women's nanquan 14 Ng Shin Yii Wushu Women's taijiquan 13
Archery
Men's recurve AthleteEventQualification1/16 elimination1/8 elimination1/4 elimination1/2 eliminationFinalRankScoreSeedOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreCheng Chu SianIndividual13037 W 100 – 86W 109 – 97L 108 – 114Did not advanceMuhammad Marbawi126420 W 819 – 815L 97 – 99Did not advanceNazrin Aizad114547Did not advanceWan Khalmizam123129Did not advanceCheng Chu SianMuhammad MarbawiNazrin AizadWan KhalmizamTeam37985 W 209 – 195W 218 – 215L 216 – 224L 207 – 2114
Women's recurve AthleteEventQualification1/16 elimination1/8 elimination1/4 elimination1/2 eliminationFinalRankScoreSeedOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreAnbarasi SubramaniamIndividual122734 L 104 – 112Did not advanceMon Redee Sut Txi118040Did not advanceNoor Aziera Taip119537Did not advanceSiti Sholeha Yusof123428 L 98 – 99Did not advanceAnbarasi SubramaniamMon Redee Sut TxiNoor Aziera TaipSiti Sholeha YusofTeam365611 L 166 – 197Did not advance
Athletics
Roslinda Samsu won a silver in women's pole vault while Noraseela Mohd Khalid earned a bronze in the women's 400 metres hurdles.
Men Track event AthleteEventRound 1SemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankMohd Robani Hassan110 m hurdles14.118 qcolspan=2 14.048
Field event AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistanceRankDistanceRankLee Hup WeiHigh jumpcolspan=2 2.159
Women Track event AthleteEventRound 1SemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankNoraseela Mohd Khalid400 m hurdlescolspan=4 56.85
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistanceRankDistanceRankRoslinda SamsuPole vaultcolspan=2 4.30Ngew Sin MeiTriple jumpcolspan=2 13.604
Badminton
Malaysia's biggest hope, the second seed ranking in the world, Lee Chong Wei is looking forward for at least a gold. However, after losing to the third seed from Korea, Lee Hyun-il by 21-19, 21-19, the Malaysian badminton team 2 men's double were beaten by the Korean team. Malaysia won the bronze medal in the men's team, after losing to South Korea by 3-1.
In the individual section, Lee Chong Wei faced Taufik Hidayat in the semifinals and losing to 21-16, 21-18. Again, he got a bronze medal only. However, Malaysia unseeded men's doubles pair of Koo Kien Kiat and Tan Boon Heong went all the way. After the world no. 1 Chinese pair in the quarterfinal and World Champion Indonesian doubles Kido Markis and Setiawan Hendra, they again beat another Indonesian team in the final, winning a victory gold medal for Malaysia in the men's double. This was Malaysia's 1st gold medal in badminton for 36 years. Malaysia was even unable to progress to the final in Asian games; they lost to Indonesia 12 years ago.
Besides the men's singles and doubles, Malaysia also attained 2 bronze in the men's team event and also the mixed double.
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalFinalOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankLee Chong Wei (2)Men's singlesW 21–17, 21–18W 20–22, 21–11, 21–7L 16–21, 18–21Did not advanceMuhammad Hafiz Hashim (5)W 21–5, 21–6W 21–14, 21–17L 20–22, 6–21Did not advanceKoo Kien KeatTan Boon HeongMen's doublesW 21–1, 21–3W 21–18, 21–14W 21–9, 21–19W 21–16, 21–13W 21–13, 21–14Fairuzizuan TazariLin Woon Fui (4)L 20–22, 23–25Did not advanceJulia WongWomen's singlesW L 16–21, 9–21Did not advanceWong Mew Choo (6)W 21–5, 21–2L 12–21, 21–14, 12–21Did not advanceJoanne QuayLim Pek SiahWomen's doublesL 8–21, 11–21Did not advanceChin Eei HuiWong Pei Tty (7)W 21–12, 20–22, 21–12L 14–21, 12–21Did not advanceKoo Kien KeatJoanne QuayMixed doublesW 21–13, 21–15W 21–9, 21–16L 9–21, 5–21Did not advanceFairuzizuan TazariWong Pei TtyW 22–20, 20–22, 24–22W 21–19, 21–13W 22–20, 11–21, 21–13L 11–21, 13–21Did not advance
Men's team Pool C Team220812115520218
Semifinal
Ranked 3rd in final standings
Women's team Pool W Team2201002113720228
Bodybuilding
MBBF is banking on Sazali Samad, who recently won the gold in the bantamweight category of Mr. Universe held in the Czech Republic in October. Sazali recently did a training stint with coach Milos Sarcev in California recently, which proved good as he picked up the Mr. Universe title soon after.
However, in the 65 kg bodybuilding final, he was unable to catch another gold for Malaysia, but only earn a silver medal.
Men AthleteEventPrejudging roundFinalTotalRankResultRankResultRankSazali Samad65 kg82 Q8216Liaw Teck Leong80 kg264 Q224484
Bowling
Esther Cheah realised her dream by winning a gold medal at the Asian Games, just as her father and Malaysian national coach Holloway Cheah had done in the men's team of five event back in 1978.
The 20-year-old became the first Malaysian to win the tenpin bowling women's singles with an Asian Games record of 1,444 for a six-game series and an average of 240.7.
“I trained her very hard for it,” Holloway Cheah said after his daughter's victory. “I leave everything with the Lord and I’m very proud for her. I knew that she could make it. It is the best Asian Games that I have attended in my life.”
Indonesia's Putty Insavilla Armein had to settle for silver – the first ever medal for her country in women's singles at the Asian Games – despite earlier breaking the eight-year-old record with a total of 1,395.
However Armein refused to be downhearted after the competition, paying tribute to Cheah instead: “I was not disappointed, she did better today. The battle of the day is over. My best today was not good enough to earn the gold.
“I didn’t know I had set a then record, but felt extremely happy that I did that. What I did today is my best performance in this event.”
Angkana Netrviseth claimed the bronze medal – an early present for her 17th birthday on 24 December – with a total of 1,331, three pins better than that of Japanese bowler Kanako Ishimine.
Esther Cheah also helped Malaysia win the women's team of five crown with a Games record 6,555 total for a six-game series, but had to settle for silver in the all events competition behind Choi Jin A of Korea on Friday 8 December.
The medals took Cheah's personal haul at Doha 2006 to two gold medals and two silver, the 20-year-old having already become the first Malaysian to win the women's singles and then claimed silver in the women's trios.
Cheah and teammates Sharon Koh Suet Len, Wendy Chai De Choo, Zandra Aziela and Shalin Zulkifli at the Qatar Bowling Centre to shatter the previous six-game record of 6,272 – set by Japan in Busan four years ago.
However this was not the only record the Malaysians claimed on the way to victory, posting new benchmarks for a one-game series and three-game series which had stood at 1,156 and 3,183 respectively.
Malaysia took gold by 239 pins from the Korean quintet of Choi, Hwang Sun Ok, Gang Hye Eun, Kim Yeau Jin and Nam Bo Ra – the latter two having won the gold medal in this event in 2002 – who scored 6,316.
"We are very happy after winning gold today for the team of five. We got second in the last game of trios and after that we set our target for gold only and we have done it [as] this time we beat the team of Korea," Cheah said.
The bronze medal went to Tan Bee Leng, Cherie Tan Shi Hua, Evelyn Chan Lu Ee, Michelle Kwang Tien Mei and Valerie Teo Hui Ying of Singapore with their total of 6,239 being 165 pins better than the Chinese team.
Choi, who led the Korean team by example with the top total of her compatriots, though had cause to smile after pipping Cheah to the all events gold medal with an average of 222.5.
A bowler's totals from the singles, doubles, trios and team of five competitions are added together to determine the all events champion, with Choi's total of 5,339 being not only 43 pins better than that of Cheah, but also a Games record.