YANG di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah conveyed their condolences to the family of badminton legend, Tan Aik Mong, who died yesterday.

Tan, 70, died following a battle with liver cancer.

While expressing sadness over the news, Sultan Abdullah hoped Tan’s family would remain strong and persevere during a time of testing.

“His service, dedication and contribution to the country, especially to the sport of badminton in Malaysia is greatly appreciated, and his passing is a great loss to the country.

“He was a legend who had made the country proud on the world stage in the 1960s and 1970s,” he said on Istana Negara’s official Instagram account.

Among Tan’s biggest achievements were winning the men’s singles event at the All England Championship in 1966, as well as bagging the gold medal in the same event at the 1971 Asian Badminton Championships in Jakarta.

He also helped Malaysia finish runners-up in the 1970 Thomas Cup in Kuala Lumpur and won two silver medals at the 1973 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games in Singapore.

The Penang native also held various positions in BAM including as director of the Talent Management Group in 2013. – Bernama, June 1, 2020.