Punch Gunalan
Datuk Punch Gunalan PSD KMN BSD (4 February 1944 – 15 August 2012)[1][2] was a Malaysian badminton star, one of the finest combination doubles and singles players that the country has ever produced.
| Punch Gunalan | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Country |  |
| Born | 4 February 1944 Sepang, Selangor, British Malaya (now Malaysia) |
| Died | 15 August 2012 (aged 68) Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia |
| Handedness | Right |
| Event | Men's singles & Men's doubles |
Medal record
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Badminton career
Gunalan was a talented right-hander who spent what might have been some of the best years of his playing career competing only sporadically as a student in England.
In early 70s, Gunalan and his partner, Ng Boon Bee became the leading men's doubles team in the world.[3] They captured gold at the biennial Asian Games (1970), at the quadrennial Commonwealth Games (1970), and at the Asian Championships (1969). They captured the venerable All England title in 1971.
Though perhaps less consistent in singles than he was in doubles, Gunalan was capable of playing it at the highest level. He reached the All-England singles final in 1974, losing in three close games to the iconic Rudy Hartono.[4] He also helped Malaysia to reach the Thomas Cup final in 1970. He is the only Malaysian to capture gold medals in both men's singles and men's doubles at the Sea Games, the Commonwealth Games, and the Asian Games.[5]
Post-retirement
After retiring as a player in 1974 Gunalan served in various stints as coach of the Malaysian team, an official in the Malaysian Badminton Association and as an official in the International Badminton Federation (now Badminton World Federation). In 1992, as team manager of the Thomas Cup together with Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tan Sri Elyas Omar, Malaysia won the Thomas Cup beating Indonesian.[6]
Achievements
Olympic Games (demonstration)
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Munich, West Germany | |
 |
4–15, 15–2, 11–15 |  |
Asian Games
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Indoor Stadium Huamark, Bangkok, Thailand | |
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Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Indoor Stadium Huamark, Bangkok, Thailand | |
4–15, 15–3, 15–12 | |
Asian Championships
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Manila, Philippines | |
|
15–8, 5–15, 15–11 | |
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Manila, Philippines | |
11–15, 3–15 | |
Southeast Asian Peninsular Games
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Yangon, Myanmar | |
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| 1971 | Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | |
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| 1973 | Singapore, Singapore | |
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Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Yangon, Myanmar | |
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| 1971 | Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | |
12–15, 11–15 | |
| 1973 | Singapore, Singapore | |
| |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Singapore, Singapore | |
 |
Commonwealth Games
Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Edinburgh, Scotland | |
|
15–3, 15–3 | |
| 1974 | Christchurch, New Zealand | |
 |
17–18, 15–5, 15–7 | |
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Christchurch, New Zealand | .svg.png){kind=small} |
15–1, 15–6 | |
International tournaments
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Dutch Open | |
 |
15–4, 15–4 |  |
| 1969 | Singapore Pesta | |
|
15–5, 15–5 | |
| 1969 | U.S. Open | |
|
15–3, 15–7 | |
| 1971 | All England | |
|
15–5, 15–3 | |
| 1971 | U.S. Open | |
 |
2–15, 18–13, 15–7 | |
| 1971 | Denmark Open | |
|
11–15, 15–4, 15–8 | |
| 1971 | Poona Open | |
|
15–4, 15–5 | |
| 1971 | German Open | |
 |
15–12, 15–8 | |
| 1971 | Canada Open | |
|
15–0, 15–11 | |
| 1972 | Denmark Open | |
|
15–6, 15–6 | |
| 1972 | German Open | |
 |
15–9, 15–12 | |
| 1972 | Singapore Open | |
|
11–15, retired |  |
| 1974 | Scottish Open | |
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Men's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | All England | |
15–8, 9–15, 10–15 | |
Honours
Honours of Malaysia
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Death
Gunalan died on 15 August 2012 after suffering from a critical illness. He was 68.[8]
References
- "Datuk Punch Gunalan". National Archives of Malaysia. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
- "Datuk Punch Gunalan". National Archives of Malaysia. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2018. (in Malay)
- "Boon Bee recalls the joy of his partnership with Punch - Other Sports | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- "Hartono remembers Malaysian great as an uncompromising competitor - Other Sports | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- "Punch Gunalan answers your 10 questions - Business News | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- "Razif: 1992 Thomas Cup winning team had all-round depth - Community | The Star Online". www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- "Semakan Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat".
- "Punch Gunalan passes away". Retrieved 15 August 2012.
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