SINGAPORE: Tributes began coming in for the late national team footballer Chia Boon Leong, an accomplished player of his time and the only Singaporean to play football at the Olympics, albeit for China at the 1948 Olympics in London.
As a mark of respect for the former Lion, a minute’s silence will be observed before the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup match between Singapore and Myanmar this Saturday at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
“The FAS is deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Chia Boon Leong, the only Singaporean footballer who has played at the Olympics. Dubbed ‘Twinkletoes’ due to his deft footwork and ball control, the 97-year-old represented China at the 1948 London Games in a 4-0 loss to Turkey. He passed away peacefully last night,” said the Football Association of Singapore.
Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth Edwin Tong were among the first to express his condolences, posting on Facebook on Tuesday night.
“In an age where footballers are judged by their highlight reels on YouTube, the slick feints and dazzling dribbles of Chia Boon Leong can only be left to the imagination if you were not fortunate enough to have witnessed it. And many of us were not,” said Minister Tong.
Born in 1925 and nicknamed Twinkletoes for his nifty footwork that left defenders struggling to keep up with him, Chia won three Malaya Cup in a row from 1950 to 1952, and became a council member of Football Association of Singapore in 1978 and then the team manager of the Singapore national team.
“To date, he is still the only Singaporean to represent (for China in the 1948 Olympics in London) and play football at the Olympics. And he did so by greatly impressing while his team (Lien Hwa soccer team of Malaya) toured China. Imagine the trail of defenders he must have agonised to have achieved this feat!” added the former FAS vice-president.
“It is perhaps fitting, that Boon Leong managed to witness his favourite player, Lionel Messi, finally lifting the World Cup before his passing.”
Singapore National Olympic Council president Tan Chuan-jin recounted his meetup with the 97-year-old earlier this year during International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach’s visit to Singapore earlier this year.
“He remained active in sports and often supported many events and occasions whenever possible. We last saw him in April this year when IOC President Bach visited Singapore. I was glad to chat with him then. He will be missed by many. Deepest condolences to his family. Rest well, Twinkletoes,” shared Tan, who is also the Speaker of Parliament.
