MINNOWS CONQUER THE THOMAS CUP

The 1949 winning team comprised eight players. Thomas presenting Lim with the cup after the Malayan team overcame the Danes in the final.

ONLY a portion of the slightly ageing booklet juts out from a pile of old newspapers but that’s enough for me to notice the word ‘THOMAS C.’ printed in bold black ink against a light red background. Is it what I think it is? Have I found the Holy Grail of badminton paraphernalia — the souvenir booklet issued in 1949 after Malaya won the inaugural Thomas Cup competition?

Nervously, I turn around to survey the surroundings. The recycling centre is practically deserted save for the elderly supervisor seeking refuge from the sweltering afternoon heat under a fast whirling fan a distance away. This is usually the quietest time of the day as most of the employees are out on their collecting rounds.

Taking advantage of the lull and absence of prying eyes, I decide to remove the layers of old newspapers bit by bit until the magazine comes into full view. My heart skips a beat as I stand rooted to the ground, trying hard to maintain my composure. It is indeed the rare Straits Times’ commemorative issue published in conjunction with the Malayan badminton team’s successful Thomas Cup campaign. Thankfully, the almost 70-yearold publication is still in very good shape apart from a slightly worn spine.

Eager to check out the contents, I head towards an empty plastic chair nearby so I can settle down to some browsing. The back of the front cover reveals a photograph of the winning team posing with their racquets. This interesting illustration is accompanied by the Malayan Thomas Cup team manager and non-playing captain, Lim Chuan Geok’s triumphant message to the Straits Times.

Lim, who was also President of the Badminton Association of Malaya at that time, thanked the Malayan people and the Singapore Government for their generous financial support in making the team’s European trip a reality. He also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to fans for their overwhelming number of congratulatory messages and apologised for not being able to reply to each one of them individually.