Chow Chee Keong
{{Short description|Malaysian footballer (1948–2018)}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{family name hatnote|Qiú (仇)|lang=Chinese}}
{{Infobox football biography
| image = Chow Chee Keong.jpg
| name = Chow Chee Keong
| caption = Chee Keong playing for South China
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1948|11|26}}
| birth_place = Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2018|2|21|1948|11|26}}
| death_place =
| height = {{convert|1.80|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| position = Goalkeeper
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 =
| years1 = 1967–1968
| clubs1 = Bedford Town
| caps1 =
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 1970
| clubs2 = HK Rangers
| caps2 =
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 1970–1971
| clubs3 = Jardine
| caps3 =
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 1971–1974
| clubs4 = South China
| caps4 =
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 1974–1977
| clubs5 = Tung Sing
| caps5 =
| goals5 = 0
| years6 = 1977–1979
| clubs6 = South China
| caps6 =
| goals6 = 0
| years7 = 1981
| clubs7 = South China
| caps7 = 0
| goals7 = 0
| years8 = 1981–1982
| clubs8 = HK Rangers
| caps8 = 0
| goals8 = 0
| totalcaps =
| totalgoals =
| nationalyears1 = 1965–1981
| nationalteam1 = Malaysia
| nationalcaps1 = 38{{cite web |last1=Mamrud |first1=Roberto |title=Chow Chee Keong - International|website=RSSSF |url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/malay-chow-intl.html |access-date=30 March 2021 }}
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| module = {{infobox Chinese
|child = yes
|title =Chow Chee Keong
|t = 仇志強
|s = 仇志强
|p = Qiú Zhìqiáng
|j = Kau4 Zi3 Koeng4
|order = ts}}
}}
Chow Chee Keong (26 November 1948 – 21 February 2018){{cite news|last1=Careem|first1=Nazvi|title=Hong Kong mourns 'Crazy Sword' Chow Chee Keong – earned more than Europeans and once arrived at a game by helicopter|url=http://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2134110/hong-kong-mourns-crazy-sword-chow-chee-keong-earned-more-expats-and|access-date=22 February 2018|work=South China Morning Post}} was a Malaysian football goalkeeper who played in Hong Kong and the Malaysian national football team.
Career
His nickname in Hong Kong was Asian Steel Gate ({{zh|t=亞洲鋼門|link=no}}) and Crazy Sword ({{zh|t=神經刀|link=no}}). He was a Malaysian Chinese. In 1963, he represented the Malaysian in under-20 level as a 13-year-old. Two years later, he joined the Malaysian national football team as a 15-year-old. At that point, he was the youngest ever Malaysian international player. He was briefly on the playing staff at Bedford Town FC. From 1966 to 1970, he was voted by the Asian Football Confederation as the best goalkeeper five times in a row.[https://www.the-afc.com/news/afcsection/afc-president-offers-condolences-on-passing-of-malaysian-legend-chow-chee-keong AFC President offers condolences on passing of Malaysian legend Chow Chee Keong] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226011732/http://www.the-afc.com/news/afcsection/afc-president-offers-condolences-on-passing-of-malaysian-legend-chow-chee-keong|date=26 February 2018}}, Asian Football Confederation(AFC){{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/articles/when-malaysian-goalkeeper-chow-chee-keong-earned-the-respect-of-pele|title=When Malaysian goalkeeper Chow Chee Keong earned the respect of Pele|publisher=FIFA|accessdate=2 April 2023|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402044141/https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/articles/when-malaysian-goalkeeper-chow-chee-keong-earned-the-respect-of-pele|archivedate=2 April 2023|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://semuanyabola.com/11-pemain-bola-sepak-cina-legenda/|title=11 Pemain Bola Sepak Malaysia Berbangsa Cina Yang Bertaraf Legenda|language=Malay|publisher=Semuanya Bola|accessdate=2 November 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20221102140247/https://semuanyabola.com/11-pemain-bola-sepak-cina-legenda/|archivedate=2 November 2022|url-status=dead}}
In 1968, he came to Hong Kong with a Chinese Malaysian selection side and many Hong Kong clubs took notice of him. Two years later, he joined Hong Kong Rangers for three guest matches. Then, he joined Jardine for a salary of HK$2,500 per month{{cite news|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19700129-1.2.126.1|title=Chee Keong decides to turn pro|date=29 January 1970|access-date=16 September 2017|work=The Straits Times|first=Tony|last=Francis|via=Singapore National Library|publication-place=Singapore}} which was the Hong Kong record at that time. However, a year later, Jardines withdrew from the Hong Kong football league system. So he moved to South China where his career started to take off. For his three seasons with South China, he won many trophies and personal awards. In 1974, he moved to Tung Sing. His salary was HKD 7000 per month plus housing. In 1977, he returned to South China. A year later, he started to play in both Hong Kong league and the Malaysian league simultaneously. In 1979, he left Hong Kong, but returned in 1981. He spent a short time again with South China before moving to Hong Kong Rangers. In 1980, he returned to Malaysia and played for Malaysian national football team for 1980 Pestabola Merdeka and World Cup qualification in 1981 before retiring from football.
Retirement
He became a golfer after retiring from football. In 1991, he finally earned a coaching license. He first started to teach in Malaysia. In 1995, he moved to a golf club in Shenzhen, China. In 1997, he returned to South China as a golfing instructor.
Honours
= Club =
= International =
;Malaysia
= Individual =
- AFC Asia's best goalkeeper: 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970[https://www.the-afc.com/news/afcsection/afc-president-offers-condolences-on-passing-of-malaysian-legend-chow-chee-keong AFC President offers condolences on passing of Malaysian legend Chow Chee Keong] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226011732/http://www.the-afc.com/news/afcsection/afc-president-offers-condolences-on-passing-of-malaysian-legend-chow-chee-keong|date=26 February 2018}}, Asian Football Confederation(AFC)
- AFC Asian All Stars: 1968{{cite web |url=https://newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.nhn?articleId=1968022200329204012&editNo=2&printCount=1&publishDate=1968-02-22&officeId=00032&pageNo=4&printNo=6882&publishType=00020 |script-title=ko:서울선 6월26일亞洲올·스타蹴球팀 巡訪경기 |website=Naver.com |publisher=Kyunghyang |date=22 February 1968 |access-date=7 September 2020 |language=ko}}
- Between The Sticks-Top 10 Asian & Oceanic goalkeepers of all time (5th place): 2020{{cite web|url=https://btsgoalies.com/2020/04/19/top-10-asian-oceanic-goalkeepers/|title= Top 10 Asian & Oceanic goalkeepers of all time|publisher= Between The Sticks |date=19 April 2020|access-date=19 April 2020|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227143953/https://btsgoalies.com/2020/04/19/top-10-asian-oceanic-goalkeepers/|url-status=live}}
- MasterCard Asian/Oceanian Team of the 20th Century: 1998{{cite web |url=http://www.soccertimes.com/international/1998/may15.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990221145250/http://www.soccertimes.com/international/1998/may15.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 February 1999 |title=Ramos, Balboa named to MasterCard CONCACAF 20th Century team. |work=Soccer Times|date=15 May 1998 |access-date=1 April 2020}}
- IFFHS Men Best Malaysian Goalkeeper of the Century (1901-2000){{cite web|url=https://www.iffhs.com/posts/1094|title=IFFHS - MEN COUNTRIES BEST PLAYERS AND GOALKEEPERS OF THE XXth CENTURY|publisher=IFFHS|date=10 May 2021|access-date=18 June 2021|archive-date=21 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021051413/https://www.iffhs.com/posts/1094|url-status=live}}
- IFFHS Men’s All Time Malaysia Dream Team: 2022{{cite web|url=https://www.iffhs.com/index.php/posts/1693|title=IFFHS MEN'S ALL TIME MALAYSIA DREAM TEAM - 123|publisher=IFFHS|accessdate=29 May 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529062916/https://www.iffhs.com/index.php/posts/1693|archivedate=29 May 2022|url-status=live}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chow, Chee Keong}}
Category:Footballers from Kuala Lumpur
Category:South China AA players
Category:Hong Kong Rangers FC players
Category:Hong Kong First Division League players
Category:Malaysian expatriate men's footballers
Category:Malaysian sportspeople of Chinese descent
Category:Malaysian men's footballers
Category:Malaysia men's international footballers
Category:Selangor F.C. players
Category:SEA Games medalists in football
Category:SEA Games bronze medalists for Malaysia