Datuk Cheah Soon Kit (Current name: Chinese: 謝勛寁; Jyutping: Ze6 Fan1 Zaam2; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Chiā Hun-chám / Birth name: Chinese: 謝順吉; Jyutping: Ze6 Seon6 Gat1; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Chiā Sūn-kiat) PMW KMN BSD (born 9 January 1968) is a former Malaysian badminton player and coach.[1]

Cheah Soon Kit
谢勋寁
Personal information
CountryMalaysia
Born (1968-01-09) 9 January 1968 (age 56)
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight73 kg (161 lb)
Years active1986–2000
HandednessRight
Men's doubles
Highest ranking1 (1992)
Medal record
Men's badminton
Representing  Malaysia
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1996 Atlanta Men's doubles
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1993 Birmingham Men's doubles
Silver medal – second place 1997 Glasgow Men's doubles
Bronze medal – third place 1995 Lausanne Men's doubles
World Cup
Gold medal – first place 1992 Guangzhou Men's doubles
Gold medal – first place 1994 Ho Chi Minh Men's doubles
Bronze medal – third place 1990 Jakarta Men's doubles
Bronze medal – third place 1993 New Delhi Men's doubles
Bronze medal – third place 1995 Jakarta Men's doubles
Bronze medal – third place 1996 Jakarta Men's doubles
Thomas Cup
Gold medal – first place 1992 Kuala Lumpur Team
Silver medal – second place 1988 Kuala Lumpur Team
Silver medal – second place 1990 Tokyo Team
Silver medal – second place 1994 Jakarta Team
Silver medal – second place 1998 Hong Kong Team
Bronze medal – third place 1986 Jakarta Team
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 1994 Victoria Men's doubles
Gold medal – first place 1998 Kuala Lumpur Men's team
Silver medal – second place 1990 Auckland Men's doubles
Silver medal – second place 1994 Victoria Mixed team
Silver medal – second place 1998 Kuala Lumpur Men's doubles
Asian Games
Silver medal – second place 1990 Beijing Men's team
Silver medal – second place 1994 Hiroshima Men's doubles
Bronze medal – third place 1994 Hiroshima Men's team
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 1995 Beijing Men's doubles
Bronze medal – third place 1989 Shanghai Men's team
Bronze medal – third place 1991 Kuala Lumpur Men's doubles
Bronze medal – third place 1999 Kuala Lumpur Men's doubles
Bronze medal – third place 1993 Hong Kong Men's team
Asian Cup
Gold medal – first place 1991 Jakarta Men's doubles
Silver medal – second place 1994 Beijing Men's doubles
Silver medal – second place 1995 Qingdao Men's doubles
Southeast Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 1989 Kuala Lumpur Men's team
Gold medal – first place 1991 Manila Men's team
Gold medal – first place 1993 Singapore Men's doubles
Gold medal – first place 1995 Chiang Mai Men's doubles
Silver medal – second place 1987 Jakarta Men's team
Silver medal – second place 1993 Singapore Men's team
Silver medal – second place 1995 Chiang Mai Men's team
Silver medal – second place 1997 Jakarta Men's team
Bronze medal – third place 1989 Kuala Lumpur Mixed doubles
Bronze medal – third place 1991 Manila Men's doubles
Cheah Soon Kit
Traditional Chinese謝順吉
Simplified Chinese谢顺吉
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinXiè Shùnjí
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingZe6 Seon6 Gat1
Southern Min
Hokkien POJChiā Sūn-kiat

Career

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Soon Kit was won the Olympic silver with Yap Kim Hock in Atlanta 1996.[2] Before combining with Kim Hock, Soon Kit’s partner was Soo Beng Kiang and they won numerous international titles, including the 1992 and 1994 World Cup.[3] He was also a vital member of the Malaysian squad that won the Thomas Cup for the first time in 25 years, in a 3-2 victory over Indonesia at the Stadium Negara in 1992.[4]

Coaching

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Soon Kit was the national women’s doubles coach from 2001 to 2007.[5] He groomed Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui into the country’s top pair. Pei Tty-Eei Hui bagged the SEA Games gold in Manila in 2005 to end a 30-year title drought. They also won the gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.[6] After becoming the head coach for several minor badminton clubs, Soon Kit rejoined the national set-up in 2016 before heading the men’s doubles department in 2017 and was instrumental in grooming the current Malaysia No.1 Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik. He left the national setup at the end of 2018.[7]

Achievements

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Olympic Games

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Men's doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
1996 GSU Sports Arena, Atlanta, United States   Yap Kim Hock   Rexy Mainaky
  Ricky Subagja
15–5, 13–15, 12–15   Silver

World Championships

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Men's doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
1993 National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England   Soo Beng Kiang   Rudy Gunawan
  Ricky Subagja
11–15, 3–15   Silver
1995 Malley Sports Centre, Lausanne, Switzerland   Yap Kim Hock   Rexy Mainaky
  Ricky Subagja
8–15, 6–15   Bronze
1997 Scotstoun Centre, Glasgow, Scotland   Yap Kim Hock   Sigit Budiarto
  Candra Wijaya
15–8, 17–18, 7–15   Silver

World Cup

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Men's doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
1990 Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia   Soo Beng Kiang   Eddy Hartono
  Rudy Gunawan
13–18, 13–18   Bronze
1992 Guangdong Gymnasium, Guangzhou, China   Soo Beng Kiang   Rexy Mainaky
  Ricky Subagja
15–10, 15–11   Gold
1993 Indira Gandhi Arena, New Delhi, India   Soo Beng Kiang   Rexy Mainaky
  Ricky Subagja
9–15, 11–15   Bronze
1994 Phan Đình Phùng Indoor Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam   Soo Beng Kiang   Rudy Gunawan
  Bambang Suprianto
18–13, 2–15, 17–16   Gold
1995 Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia   Yap Kim Hock   Rexy Mainaky
  Ricky Subagja
13–18, 9–15   Bronze
1996 Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia   Yap Kim Hock   Denny Kantono
  Antonius Ariantho
11–15, 15–3, 13–15   Bronze

Asian Games

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Men's doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
1994 Tsuru Memorial Gymnasium, Hiroshima, Japan   Soo Beng Kiang   Rexy Mainaky
  Ricky Subagja
10–15, 2–15   Silver

Asian Championships

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Men's doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
1991 Cheras Indoor Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia   Soo Beng Kiang   Park Joo-bong
  Kim Moon-soo
7–15, 7–15   Bronze
1995 Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium, Beijing, China   Yap Kim Hock   Huang Zhanzhong
  Jiang Xin
7–15, 15–8, 15–7   Gold
1999 Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia   Yap Kim Hock   Zhang Jun
  Zhang Wei
16–17, 8–15   Bronze

Asian Cup

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Men's doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
1991 Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia   Soo Beng Kiang   Rexy Mainaky
  Ricky Subagja
17–16, 15–5   Gold
1994 Beijing Gymnasium, Beijing, China   Soo Beng Kiang   Rexy Mainaky
  Ricky Subagja
8–15, 7–15   Silver
1995 Xinxing Gymnasium, Qingdao, China   Yap Kim Hock   Huang Zhanzhong
  Jiang Xin
10–15, 11–15   Silver

Southeast Asian Games

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Men's doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
1991 Camp Crame Gymnasium, Manila, Philippines   Soo Beng Kiang   Eddy Hartono
  Rudy Gunawan
7–15, 3–15   Bronze
1993 Singapore Badminton Hall, Singapore   Soo Beng Kiang   Rexy Mainaky
  Ricky Subagja
15–7, 11–15, 15–7   Gold
1995 Gymnasium 3, 700th Anniversary Sport Complex,
Chiang Mai, Thailand
  Yap Kim Hock   Rexy Mainaky
  Ricky Subagja
15–13, 15–9   Gold

Mixed doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
1989 Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia   Tan Sui Hoon   Aryono Miranat
  Minarti Timur
14–18, 1–15   Bronze

Commonwealth Games

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Men's doubles

Year Venue Partner Opponent Score Result
1990 Auckland Badminton Hall, Auckland, New Zealand   Rashid Sidek   Razif Sidek
  Jalani Sidek
8–15, 8–15   Silver
1994 McKinnon Gym, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada   Soo Beng Kiang   Simon Archer
  Chris Hunt
15–10, 15–9   Gold
1998 Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia   Yap Kim Hock   Choong Tan Fook
  Lee Wan Wah
7–15, 4–15   Silver

IBF World Grand Prix

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The World Badminton Grand Prix sanctioned by International Badminton Federation (IBF) from 1983 to 2006.

Men's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
1990 World Grand Prix Finals   Soo Beng Kiang   Rudy Gunawan
  Eddy Hartono
6–15, 8–15   Runner-up
1991 Chinese Taipei Open   Soo Beng Kiang   Jalani Sidek
  Razif Sidek
7–15, 5–15   Runner-up
1991 Swedish Open   Soo Beng Kiang   Jon Holst-Christensen
  Thomas Lund
18–14, 15–7   Winner
1991 Thailand Open   Soo Beng Kiang   Rudy Gunawan
  Eddy Hartono
3–15, 11–15   Runner-up
1992 Chinese Taipei Open   Soo Beng Kiang   Jalani Sidek
  Tan Kim Her
15–7, 15–4   Winner
1992 Malaysia Open   Soo Beng Kiang   Chen Hongyong
  Chen Kang
15–12, 15–7   Winner
1992 World Grand Prix Finals   Soo Beng Kiang   Rexy Mainaky
  Ricky Subagja
11–15, 6–15   Runner-up
1993 Chinese Taipei Open   Soo Beng Kiang   Imay Hendra
  Bagus Setiadi
15–3, 15–12   Winner
1993 Malaysia Open   Soo Beng Kiang   Rexy Mainaky
  Ricky Subagja
7–15, 5–15   Runner-up
1993 Dutch Open   Soo Beng Kiang   Jiang Xin
  Yu Qi
15–4, 17–14   Winner
1995 Malaysia Open   Yap Kim Hock   Pramote Teerawiwatana
  Sakrapee Thongsari
15–5, 12–15, 5–15   Runner-up
1995 Thailand Open   Yap Kim Hock   Huang Zhanzhong
  Jiang Xin
9–15, 11–15   Runner-up
1995 World Grand Prix Finals   Yap Kim Hock   Rudy Gunawan
  Bambang Suprianto
13–18, 15–2, 15–12   Winner
1996 Korea Open   Yap Kim Hock   Rexy Mainaky
  Ricky Subagja
5–15, 14–15   Runner-up
1996 All England Open   Yap Kim Hock   Rexy Mainaky
  Ricky Subagja
6–15, 5–15   Runner-up
1996 Malaysia Open   Yap Kim Hock   Choong Tan Fook
  Lee Wan Wah
15–5, 15–3   Winner
1996 US Open   Yap Kim Hock   Sigit Budiarto
  Candra Wijaya
16–18, 10–15   Runner-up
1996 Hong Kong Open   Yap Kim Hock   Antonius Ariantho
  Denny Kantono
6–15, 3–15   Runner-up
1996 World Grand Prix Finals   Yap Kim Hock   Rexy Mainaky
  Ricky Subagja
4–15, 9–15   Runner-up
1997 Korea Open   Yap Kim Hock   Ha Tae-kwon
  Kang Kyung-jin
15–4, 13–15, 5–15   Runner-up
1997 World Grand Prix Finals   Yap Kim Hock   Sigit Budiarto
  Candra Wijaya
15–17, 15–11, 5–15   Runner-up
1998 Japan Open   Yap Kim Hock   Antonius Ariantho
  Denny Kantono
15–9, 15–7   Winner
1998 Dutch Open   Choong Tan Fook   Peter Axelsson
  Pär-Gunnar Jönsson
15–11, 15–9   Winner
1999 Chinese Taipei Open   Choong Tan Fook   Antonius Ariantho
  Denny Kantono
4–15, 17–14, 8–15   Runner-up
1999 Hong Kong Open   Yap Kim Hock   Sigit Budiarto
  Halim Haryanto
15–12, 15–12   Winner
2000 Chinese Taipei Open   Yap Kim Hock   Tony Gunawan
  Candra Wijaya
7–15, 7–15   Runner-up

IBF International

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Men's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
1992 Canada Open   Soo Beng Kiang   Ahn Jae-chang
  Choi Ji-tae
15–4, 15–4   Winner
1992 US Open   Soo Beng Kiang   Thomas Lund
  Jens Olsson
15–9, 15–11   Winner

Honours

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References

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  1. ^ Talkah, Oleh Helmi (10 December 2018). "Kontrak Soon Kit, 3 jurulatih tak disambung". BH Online (in Malay). Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Switch that turned on the power". The Star. 25 December 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  3. ^ "Badminton: Switch that turned on the power | The Star". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  4. ^ "The long, memorable road to victory | The Star". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  5. ^ "Badminton: Soon Kit's the man for BAM to revive doubles fortunes | The Star". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Badminton: Soon Kit ready to restore Malaysian badminton to former glory | The Star". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Badminton: Kejian the latest to join exodus of coaches from BAM | The Star". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat". Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  9. ^ "Seramai 335 terima darjah kebesaran sempena Hari Wilayah". Berita Harian (in Malay). 1 February 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  10. ^ "Rashid, Soon Kit dapat gelaran Datuk". Berita Harian (in Malay). 1 February 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
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