2003 Women and Sports Award Recipient
 Mrs. Khaw Choon Ean
“As the inaugural recipient of this award, I would like to say that as women come forward in the world of sports to make their mark, the impact they make will be realized. As leaders in sports for women we will look beyond a glamourous image and seek for the important and rewarding aspects of promoting sports for women.
This will not only be the deeper understanding of a working knowledge of the sport, of anatomy, physiology and nutrition but also of a holistic management of skills, programme planning, motivation, administration and organization. For me, a women sports leader has a good ground knowledge of these and more. Only then will she be able to lead others.”
Mrs. Khaw Choon Ean nee Teoh Choon Ean started her career in sports in Penang as one of the country’s earliest female artistic gymnasts, competing under MSS Pulau Pinang, MSS Malaysia and Penang Amateur Gymnastics Association.
She later trained as an artistic coach and was active as a coach in SAGA’s centre in Stadium Negara and the achieved first Malaysian woman to be issued an international FIG Judge Brevet for artistic gymnastics from 1977-1985.
Starting from nothing (even initial apparatus for the sports was home-made), Mrs. Khaw started a Technical Committee on the initiation of the Malaysian Gymnastics Federation. Her accomplishments include the development of the sport through planning, running and conducting clinics, courses and seminars for coaches and gymnasts throughout the country.
She also initiated the sport in schools throughout Majlis Sukan Sekolah-sekolah Malaysia and was instrumental in working on a curriculum project defining the gymnastics disciplines to be taught in school curriculums.
She became the coach of the first Malaysia RSG team to compete overseas in the KIWI Cup Championships in Auckland New Zealand. The team brought home the cup. Mrs. Khaw was also appointed Malaysian team RSG coach to the first overwhelmingly successful RSG gymnast, Faiznur Miskin at the 1989 SEA Games (5 gold medals)
Her accomplishments include being sent as Technical Delegate to all national championship from 1985-1999, SEAGCON Championships, 1992 Philippines SEA Games and SUKMA Games. In the 1998 Commonwealth Games, Mrs. Khaw was appointed as a Technical advisor for the RSG Championships and helped develop a strategy that led Malaysia to its gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.
Other pioneering accomplishment includes:
| 1978 - |
Started artistic gymnastics for girls in Sekolah Seri Puteri. |
| 1980 - |
Pioneered the start of the sport of Rhythmic Gymnastics in
Malaysia with a ribbon and hoop display at the launch of newly
formed Majlis Sukan Sekolah-Sekolah Wilayah Persekutuan in
Stadium Negara. |
| 1985 - |
Organised first National Championships for Rhythmic
Gymnastics in Malaysia. |
| 1989 - |
Joined Curriculum Development Centre, Ministry of Education
to develop a gymnastics programme to be used in school
curriculum including Gimrama in for the first time. |
| 90’- 03’ - |
RSG Coach for National RSG Classification
Programme for 13 years as a development programme in Selangor
taking an average of 60-100 gymnasts a year providing a base for
gymnasts selected for state and national teams.
Some national gymnasts who have developed from this programme :
Zefane Zakaria
Regina Tajuddin
Corey Sik
Farahana Azmi
MSSM Under - 15 team for Group Champions 2000
MSSM Under – 18 team for Group Runners-Up 2003 |
Awarded special awards at state level (PJK title, Outstanding Service Award) and international recognition with MILO Southeast Asian Special Sports Award (Philippines in 1995).
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