Choo Seng Quee

In this Chinese name, the family name is Choo.
Choo Seng Quee
朱成贵
Personal information
Full name Joseph Choo Seng Quee[1]
Date of birth (1914-12-01)1 December 1914[1]
Place of birth Singapore, Straits Settlements
Date of death 30 June 1983(1983-06-30) (aged 68)[1]
Place of death Singapore
Position(s) Centre-half[2]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1933–1939 Singapore Chinese FA
1939–1940 Chinese Athletic Association[3]
1940–1941 Sing Tao
1945–1949 Chinese Athletic Association
International career
1936–1939 Singapore
Managerial career
19??–19?? Chinese Athletic Association (player-coach)
1945–1949 Chinese Athletic Association (player-coach)
1949–1950 Singapore FA
1951–1953 Indonesia
1952–1957 Star Soccerites[4]
1957 Marine Department Sports Club
1958–1964 Malaya / Malaysia
1964–1965 Singapore
1967 Singapore
1968–1969 Police Sports Association
1971 Singapore
1976–1977 Singapore
1980–1981 Johor FA
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Joseph Choo Seng Quee PBM (Chinese: 朱成贵; pinyin: Zhū Chéngguì;[5] 1 December 1914 – 30 June 1983), popularly known as Uncle Choo,[6] was a Singaporean footballer and football coach. He was coach of the Indonesia, Malaya/Malaysia and Singapore national teams. He is widely recognised as one of Singapore's best football coaches.[6][7][8]

Choo began his playing career playing as a right full-back with Singapore Chinese Football Association in the SAFA leagues in 1933.[9] His performances led to a call-up to the Singapore FA team in the Malaya Cup competition. He was converted to a centre-half as the Lions won the Malaya Cup in 1937 and 1939.[10] During World War II, he wrote propaganda for the British in Macau.[11] In 1939, he helped to found the Chinese Athletic Association where he took on the role of player-coach.[12] He retired as a player to concentrate on his coaching duties in 1949.

From 1951 to 1953, Choo coached the Indonesia national team on an honorary basis. The team toured Hong Kong in 1953, achieving wins over professional Hong Kong outfits. Choo was appointed Malaya national coach in 1958.[13] He led the team to three Merdeka Tournament titles from 1958 to 1960. With Choo, Malaya also won the 1961 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games football competition and the bronze at the 1962 Asian Games.[14][15] Choo left Malaysia and returned to Singapore in 1964. He was appointed Singapore national coach over four stints from 1964 to 1977. He won the Malaysia Cup in 1977, twelve years after Singapore's last triumph.[16] His achievements earned him the 1977 Coach of the Year award.[17] The following year, he was honoured with the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat medal for his services to Singapore football.[18]

Choo had a skin infection of his leg which he left untreated during the 1977 season. With diabetes as a complication, his condition worsened and he was forced to amputate his gangrenous right leg in September 1977.[19] He returned to coaching during a brief stint with Johor FA in 1980 but left in early 1981.[20] In June 1983, he was admitted to hospital with kidney problems.[21] He died at the age of 68 on 30 June.[7]

  1. ^ a b c "Obituaries - 143 Acknowledgements". The Straits Times. 6 July 1983. p. 36.
  2. ^ "Missed place in Olympic XI". The Singapore Free Press. 6 April 1949. p. 10.
  3. ^ "Chinese Play First Game In League". The Straits Times. 21 May 1939. p. 28.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference star was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ 无标题. 联合早报 (Lianhe Zaobao) (in Chinese). 1 July 1983. p. 18.
  6. ^ a b "Choo Seng Quee". SSC Sports Museum. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014.
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference farewell was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "He was the best". Singapore Monitor. 30 June 1983. p. 29.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference notes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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  21. ^ Cite error: The named reference hospital was invoked but never defined (see the help page).