Tang Jie-Ee Wei, Bonnie Crowned 2025 SAM-100PLUS Best Athlete
KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 (Bernama) -- Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei, who made history as Malaysia's first mixed doubles to emerge world champions, were crowned the Best Athlete at the 2025 Sports Writers Association of Malaysia (SAM)-100PLUS Awards.
SAM in a statement today announced that the world's fourth pair beat four other candidates, namely national wushu queen Tan Cheong Min, Emma Firyana Saroji (lawn bowl), Muhd Rafiq Ismail (tenpin bowling) and Mohd Abdul Latif Maxzakir (silat).
Tang Jie-Ee Wei created history when they became the first mixed doubles and third pair from badminton to win the SAM-100PLUS Best Athlete award after two men's doubles, namely Cheah Soon Kit-Yap Kim Hock (1995, 1996) and Koo Kean Kiat-Tan Boon Heong (2006).
"We are grateful to receive the award from SAM for the year 2025. I would like to thank everyone who has always supported us and apologised if there were any mistakes or errors. Whatever we do is for Malaysia," Ee Wei told the media after receiving the award at a hotel in the capital, here, today.
Other badminton athletes who have been crowned the Best Athlete of the SAM-100PLUS Award are Datin Wong Mew Choo (2007) and Datuk Lee Chong Wei (2008).
Meanwhile, national powerlifting champion Bonnie Bunyau Gustin lived up to expectations when he was crowned the Best Para Athlete following his achievement of topping the 2025 World Powerlifting Championships in Cairo, Egypt, thus creating history by becoming world champion for the fourth time in a row.
"The award gives me hope for the future," he said.
This is the fourth time Bonnie Bunyau has been crowned the Best Para Athlete, equaling the record of national track cycling champion Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang who previously held the record for the most recipients of the SAM-100PLUS Best Athlete award with four wins.
The winners each received a trophy and cash of RM10,000 presented by the Minister of Youth and Sports Dr Mohammed Tafiq Johari.
Also present were secretary-general of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Datuk Rahimi Ismail, Fraser & Neave Holdings Berhad chairman Tengku Syarif Bendahara Perlis Syed Badarudin Jamalullail Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail, Olympic Council of Malaysia deputy president Datuk Dr Nur Azmi Ahmad and Paralympic Council of Malaysia president Datuk Seri Megat D Shahriman Zaharudin.
In addition to recognising athletes, SAM also honoured its members who have contributed greatly to the development of sports in the country through various categories including the main award, the Siebel Award, which was won by Astro senior journalist Muhammad Rizal Hashim who also won the Best Special Report Open category.
The fourth edition of the Popular Sports Commentator Award went to Izwan Mohd Nor of Astro Arena who won 173,336 votes to beat his closest challenger from RTM Aizuddin Nizam who obtained 14,330 votes.
Other categories for journalism awards contested were Best News Report (Print Media), Best News Report (Electronic Media), Best News Commentary (Print Media), Best News Commentary (Electronic Media), and Best Sports Photography.
Bernama journalists Ahmad Nazrin Syahmi Mohamad Arif and Muhammad Zulkarnain Mohd Azman were also listed in the Best News Report (Print Media) and Best Special Report (Open) categories, respectively, while photographer Muhammad Zainul Ariff Ahmad Sarbri was listed for Best Sports Photography.
-- BERNAMA
