Shamala played for the Negri Sembilan senior hockey team when she was 15 before breaking into the national team at 18. She then continued her contribution to women’s hockey when she became secretary of MWHA at 26.
The 38 year-old lecturer’s achievement and contribution to women’s hockey was duly rewarded when she received the 2011 Women and Sports Award from Olympic Council Malaysia’s (OCM) President Tan Sri Tunku Imran Tuanku Jaafar at the Commonwealth Hall yesterday.
“I’m honoured to get the award and I owe all this to the women’s hockey team. I believe the women hockey team’s re-emergence and performance was the key for winning the award,” said Shamala, who hails from Port Dickson.
“The team qualified to the last year’s Guangzhou Asian Games after 24 years and now we will work harder to qualify to the Olympics. It won’t be easy but we will work towards it.”
In conjunction with the award, a Women and Sport Forum was held with the theme “Nurturing Young Talent”.
National karate exponent G. Yamini, former international athlete Marina Chin, synchronised swimming coach Georgie Goh and Abdul Hadi, father of the recent SEA Games medallists Katrina Ann and Farah Ann, were on the panel for the forum.
OCM vice-president Low Beng Choo said that they wanted to do something different this year.
“We wanted to share the insight on nurturing a talent and engaged panellist from a broad prospective of sports,” said Beng Choo, who is also the chairman of OCM’s women and sports committee.
“We, at OCM, not only strive to have world class athletes but also to nurture new talents for the future.”
National cyclist Kimberly Yap and diver Leong Mun Yee’s parents – Henry Beg oak Tebi and Amy Wong Swee Eng and Leong Chai and Chan Ying Fong respectively were also honoured for their support and sacrifices which have been instrumental in their children’s success.
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