Datuk Cheah Soon Kit (Current name: / Birth name: ) (born 9 January 1968) is a former Malaysian badminton player and coach.

Career

Known for his amazing jumping smashes, Soon Kit was one of the top doubles stars in the world in his heyday. He won the Olympic silver with Yap Kim Hock in Atlanta 1996. Before combining with Kim Hock, Soon Kit’s partner was Soo Beng Kiang and they won numerous international titles, including the 1992 and 1994 World Cup. He was also a vital member of the Malaysian squad that won the Thomas Cup for the first time in 25 years, in a 3-2 victory over Indonesia at the Stadium Negara in 1992.

Cheah Soon Kit

Coaching

Soon Kit was the national women’s doubles coach from 2001 to 2007. He groomed Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui into the country’s top pair. Pei Tty-Eei Hui bagged the SEA Games gold in Manila in 2005 to end a 30-year title drought. They also won the gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. After becoming the head coach for several minor badminton clubs, Soon Kit rejoined the national set-up in 2016 before heading the men’s doubles department in 2017 and was instrumental in grooming the current Malaysia No.1 Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik. He left the national setup at the end of 2018.

Cheah Soon Kit

Achievements

Olympic Games

Men's doubles

World Championships

Men's doubles

World Cup

Men's doubles

Asian Games

Men's doubles

Asian Championships

Men's doubles

Asian Cup

Men's doubles

Southeast Asian Games

Men's doubles

Mixed doubles

Commonwealth Games

Men's doubles

IBF World Grand Prix

The World Badminton Grand Prix sanctioned by International Badminton Federation (IBF) from 1983 to 2006.

Cheah Soon Kit

Men's doubles

IBF International

Men's doubles

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

: Herald of the Order of Loyalty to the Royal Family of Malaysia (BSD) (1988) Officer of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (KMN) (1992) : Knight Commander of the Order of the Territorial Crown (PMW) – Datuk (2021)

References

External links

1968 births

Living people

Sportspeople from Ipoh

Malaysian sportspeople of Chinese descent

Malaysian male badminton players

Badminton players at the 1992 Summer Olympics

Badminton players at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Badminton players at the 2000 Summer Olympics

Olympic badminton players for Malaysia

Olympic silver medalists for Malaysia

Olympic medalists in badminton

Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Badminton players at the 1990 Commonwealth Games

Badminton players at the 1994 Commonwealth Games

Badminton players at the 1998 Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Malaysia

Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Malaysia

Commonwealth Games medallists in badminton

Badminton players at the 1986 Asian Games

Badminton players at the 1990 Asian Games

Badminton players at the 1994 Asian Games

Asian Games silver medalists for Malaysia

Asian Games bronze medalists for Malaysia

Asian Games medalists in badminton

Medalists at the 1990 Asian Games

Medalists at the 1994 Asian Games

Competitors at the 1987 SEA Games

Competitors at the 1989 SEA Games

Competitors at the 1991 SEA Games

Competitors at the 1993 SEA Games

Competitors at the 1995 SEA Games

Competitors at the 1997 SEA Games

SEA Games gold medalists for Malaysia

SEA Games silver medalists for Malaysia

SEA Games bronze medalists for Malaysia

SEA Games medalists in badminton

World No. 1 badminton players

Badminton coaches

Heralds of the Order of Loyalty to the Royal Family of Malaysia

Officers of the Order of the Defender of the Realm

Medallists at the 1990 Commonwealth Games

Medallists at the 1994 Commonwealth Games

Medallists at the 1998 Commonwealth Games