The pioneer who put Malaysia on cycling’s Olympic map

Long after the racing days were over, a photograph on Ng Joo Pong’s wall could still bring a glint to his eyes.

During a visit to his Shah Alam home last October, the Olympian spotted a picture of himself in Mexico, standing beside a woman athlete.

His speech had slowed, and he had been bedridden for years, but his mischievous streak remained.

“Pretty,” he remarked.

The room broke into laughter.

For a moment, the years seemed to fall away, revealing the man behind the medals: a cyclist who had travelled far from the streets of Kuala Lumpur, yet never lost his spark.

Joo Pong died at 80 on Wednesday, leaving a place in Malaysian sporting history as the country’s first cyclist to compete at the Olympic Games. He represented Malaysia in Tokyo in 1964 and returned to the Olympic stage in Mexico City four years later.

His journey belonged to a generation that helped establish Malaysian cycling through grit, sacrifice and a willingness to take on the world with far fewer resources than its rivals.

Growing up in a family of 17 children, Joo Pong helped with the family’s water supply business at 4th mile, Old Klang Road. His love of cycling began early. He would sometimes borrow his father’s bicycle without permission and get punished for it.

His breakthrough came when he earned a China-made bicycle by selling 60 raffle booklets at school. The RM75 prize opened the door to competitive racing.

His father, Swee Long, recognised the potential in Joo Pong and his younger brother, Joo Ngan. He turned their weekend rides into training sessions, following them in his car along Jalan Kuchai Lama to keep them safe.

Victories brought a treat of cow’s milk in Brickfields. Defeats meant a quiet ride home.

Their story unfolded against a growing cycling scene. Clubs such as the Rough Riders and Agas Wheelers organised races, while the formation of the national federation in 1953 helped the sport grow beyond local competition.

Without a velodrome at their disposal, young riders trained on the roads and made the most of what they had.

Joo Pong emerged quickly, winning bronze in the 1,000m individual time trial at the 1963 Asian Cycling Championships in Kuala Lumpur. He also helped Malaysia win gold in a team event at the championships.

At 18, he reached the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. He finished 24th in the 1,000m track time trial, while Malaysia placed 32nd in the 100km team time trial. He also competed in the team pursuit.

Four years later, he returned to the Olympics in Mexico City for the individual road race. There would be no medal, but his place in history did not depend on one.

Joo Pong had taken Malaysian cycling onto the Olympic stage at a time when the country was still establishing itself in international competition.

His regional record was equally impressive. He won three silver medals and a bronze at the 1965 SEAP Games, followed by two bronze medals at the 1967 edition. At the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok, he claimed bronze in the 10,000m massed-start race.

That was his final major competition. He retired after the Games, by which time Malaysian cycling had a growing band of accomplished riders.

Joo Ngan and fellow great Daud Ibrahim were among those who carried the sport forward, winning major honours of their own and helping take it from club races to the international stage.

But behind the brothers’ achievements lay a family tragedy that changed their lives.

In April 1969, their father died in a collision with a lorry while following his sons on a morning training ride. The man who had encouraged their ambitions and watched over them on the road was suddenly gone.

The loss devastated the brothers, and Joo Ngan later recalled that it took months for them to return to cycling.

After retiring, Joo Pong sold lorries and drove a taxi part-time. His sporting achievements had brought him distinction, but not lasting financial security.

Later, strokes severely limited his mobility. He spent more than a decade in a wheelchair before becoming bedridden for the final three years of his life.

In October last year, the Malaysia Olympians Association arranged a visit to recognise his contribution to sport. Its president, Noraseela Khalid, and athletics great Zaiton Othman went to his home.

Noraseela presented him with a framed citation from the World Olympians Association and an Olympic pin recognising him with the post-nominal title OLY.

As Noraseela read the citation aloud, Joo Pong held the framed recognition. Zaiton sat beside him, wiping away his tears as the significance of the moment sank in.

It was recognition for a pioneer who had represented his country when Malaysian cycling was still finding its feet.

His younger brother remained close through those difficult years. Joo Ngan continued to visit him and said Joo Pong had been in high spirits in the days before his death. He would miss him greatly.

Their bond had begun on bicycles, shaped by a father who believed in his sons and strengthened by the loss they endured together.

The medals and photographs in Joo Pong’s home bore witness to a life that had taken him from the roads of Kuala Lumpur to two Olympic Games.

Yet the October visit revealed something beyond the record of races and results. Even as his body failed him, the humour that had once carried him through the rigours of competition remained.

A photograph could still make him smile; a teasing remark could still fill the room with laughter.

During that visit, he was asked whether he missed cycling.

“Always.”

The wake will be held at Nirvana 2, Jalan Dewan Bahasa, Bukit Seputeh, Kuala Lumpur, on Saturday and Sunday.

The cremation will be on Monday at Nirvana Crematorium in Shah Alam.

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