Hall of Fame

Tan Sri Khaw Kai Boh

Category: Official
Sport: Basketball
Year Inducted: 1993

Basketball had always been Khaw Kai Boh’s favourite sport, ever since his early years. This fondness was taken beyond the court, as he set out to make a difference in the sport. In the mid 1960’s, Malaysian basketball was at a standstill. It showed no signs of progress and it was at the brink of fading into the shadows forever.

Khaw’s presence shed a light on the sport. As the President of the Malaysian Amateur Basketball Association (MABA), he turned the game around significantly. He built the MABA House, headquarters of the association in Kuala Lumpur. He also petitioned for women’s basketball to be part of the Olympics, a fight which never yielded any results during his lifetime. However, in 1976, women’s basketball was included as an event for the first time at the Olympic Games in Montreal. Khaw was also the Vice President of the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) and the Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur (FIBA). He held all these positions until 1972.

His involvement in sport was not confined to Basketball alone. He was the President of the Ping Pong Association for 6 years. He was also the Vice President for various associations, including the SEAP Games Federation, OCM and the International Committee for Sport and Physical Education (UNESCO). Towards the end of his years, he was also the Patron of the Judo Federation of Malaysia, Amateur Boxing Federation and the Selangor Shooting Association. During the 6th ABC Congress in Tokyo, Khaw was nominated to stand as President of the FIBA Congress at the Olympic Games in Munich, in October 1972. Sadly, Khaw passed away six months prior to the event.

Tan Sri Khaw Kai Boh will always be remembered as the man who changed the landscape of Malaysian basketball and made his presence felt in various other sports. His contribution and involvement in the sporting world is undeniable, and his achievements irreplaceable.

Achievements:

As Official
1963 - President of Malaysian Amateur Basketball Association (MABA)

1965 – President, Ping Pong Association of Malaysia, Vice President, SEAP Games Federation & Olympic Council of Malaysia

1966 – Chef de mission of Malaysian contingent to Commonwealth Games, Jamaica

1967 - Vice President, Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC), Vice President, Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur (FIBA)

1968 – Chef de mission of Malaysian Contingent to Olympic Games, Mexico

1971 – V. President, International Committee for Sport and Physical Education (UNESCO)

1976 – Women’s Basketball was an Olympics event for the very first time

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