Ciku Brings Life to the Disabled

By Ranjini Thangaraju

ARRIVING in his 1960 purple Volkswagen, Moe Chin Kiat, 69, would unload

two wheelchairs, several badminton racquets, and shuttlecocks as he

prepares for his coaching session with some disabled badminton players at

the Kampung Pandan Sports Complex in Kuala Lumpur.

That was seven years ago. Today, the story still remains the same –

only the Volkswagen has been retired and has been replaced by a Honda

Civic which allows him to carry two extra wheelchairs.

“It (the Volkswagen) has served me well, and it’s enjoying it’s

retirement at home. With the Honda, I can fit in more wheelchairs,” said

Chin Kiat, more fondly remembered as Ciku.

The son of a tin mine prospector also denied that he was a millionaire.

“I’m not a millionaire (laughs), I have just enough to get me by each

day,” he said.

But that’s not the story. This is a story of a man who in all his

50-odd years with the only love he ever knew and stayed faithful to –

badminton – as a player first and a coach later, has not allowed anything

to dampen or destroy his true sporting spirit.

Not one to demand attention, titles, or rewards, Ciku is one of the

very rare Malaysian sports official who can truthfully claim that he

means what he says when he says “I am in it for the love of the game.”

This is a man who has not allowed politics and politicking in sport to

deter him from doing what he has always been doing.

Forty years ago, he would be in the stands of the Selangor BA Hall in

Kampung Attap, mentoring kids as young as eight years old, stringing

their rackets, and making sure they were fine.

Some of these kids grew up to be national, Sea Games Games, and even

Commonwealth Games champions.

They were Sylvia Ng, Rosalind Singha Ang, Katherine Teh, James

Selvaraj, Moo Foot Lian, Cheah Hong Chong, Phua Ah Hua and Ong Ah Hong.

He also had a hand in the development of former national super- siblings

Razif, Jalani and Misbun Sidek in 1976 when they were making waves in the

junior circuit.

Chin Kiat himself was a state player, but when a twisted knee put an

end to his playing days, he did what came naturally, to be a coach.

And that’s still not the story. The story is, for a man who could step

out from the shadows and claim credit for the success of his former

charges, Moe Chin Kiat instead turned his attentions to a group of people

who needed his kind of dedication and passion more than the others.

Ciku shifted his focus from the able-bodied to the disabled, simply

because they were in need of someone urgently.

“Well, they needed the service. Since I can offer this service, I

decided to focus my attention on them. It’s definitely more challenging

training a disabled person. You need to always create ideas,” said Ciku.

But he is not complaining. He must be comfortable with it, as he has

been in it for seven years now.

“It’s not easy, but if you have patience and perseverance, you will get

there. You got to apply different methods for the various disabilities –

hand, and leg. But when you see them respond and become competitive, it

gives you so much of satisfaction.

“It’s even better when they win something in the international arena. I

believe, after watching these special athletes in action, that they can

be a lot stronger mentally than you or I.

“With some assistance from those who have, we can all help these

have-nots,” said Ciku.

And he knows what it’s like to feel that way, as his squad were crowned

overall champions in the World Championships in Taiwan recently, after

they had won four gold medals.

Prior to that, they won six gold medals at the Asia Cup last year, and

another six at the 2003 Vietnam Sea Games.

With the assistance of another coach, he trains a total of 26 players

from Kuala Lumpur and Selangor on weekends.

And it doesn’t stop there. Every Wednesday he drives to Alor Gajah,

Malacca and on Thursdays, to Bangi to coach another 10 disabled players.

“No, it’s no big deal. Alor Gajah is only an hour and a half away.

Anyone can drive there. Besides, I get to rest on Mondays and Tuesdays,”

he said humbly.

Chin Kiat’s next move is to embark on a nationwide talent scouting

mission with the Malaysian Paralympic Council to unearth more disabled

talents, especially women.

“We want to search for more wheelchair-bound players, especially women.

Most are very shy to be seen in public in their condition. We need to

motivate and encourage them so that we can broaden the grassroots.

“And for as long as my legs are willing to carry me, I will continue to

find these special people and groom them,” he said.

Which is probably why he has never got married, as it would have been

virtually imposible to stay faithful to his first love.