HUA Ren Recreation Association of Kuala Lumpur became the new champions of the Moey Yok Ham Cup when they defeated hosts Penang Chinese Recreation Club 3-1 in the final at the Victoria Green field in George Town yesterday.
Displaying dominance, the KL team scored an impressive 17 goals and conceded only one in their journey to victory, encompassing three group matches, one semi-final and the final.
Perak Chinese Recreation Club, last year’s inaugural Cup winners, were knocked out by Hua Ren RA in a hard fought semi-final, with the KL team securing a 1-0 victory. In the other semi-final, Penang CRC battled valiantly to secure a narrow 1-0 win against Selangor CRC.
Competition chairman Ong Joon Kwang expressed his satisfaction that all eight participating teams demonstrated commitment and played with a high level of sportsmanship.
“We are all delighted that the tournament proceeded without any untoward incidents. The players gave their all and exhibited exemplary sportsmanship throughout the competition.
“We heaved a huge sigh of relief that the weather over the weekend was very kind to us when the group matches took place at the Universiti Sains Malaysia on Saturday, and the cross-over semi-finals and final were held at the CRC club on Sunday. We prayed hard because it rained three or four times earlier during the week,” Ong said.
Looking ahead, Ong confirmed that they plan to host the tournament again next year as initially scheduled for the first three years. After this period, they will conduct a thorough review of the tournament.
RESULTS:
Semi-finals: Penang CRC bt Selangor CRC 1-0; Hua Ren RA bt Perak CRC 1-0.
Final: Hua Ren RA bt Penang CRC 3-1.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix courtesy of Penang Chinese Recreation Club