Malaysian-Born PNG Football Official Gets OBE Award From Queen Elizabeth

KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 (Bernama) -- Malaysian-born David Chung Kim Hiong, who is president of the Papua New Guinea Football Association, has been awarded the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth for services to business and the development and administration of soccer in Papua New Guinea (PNG). He was among 13 OBE recipients announced by Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio in the recent 2012 Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Chung, who turns 50 on Friday, had arrived in Papua New Guinea in 1985 as a 23-year-old on a business trip while working for a multi-national company involved in logging, hotels, retail and wholesale trading. He subsequently became a naturalised citizen. The football official said he was humbled and felt honoured and proud as a recipient of the award, according to The National, a Papua New Guinean daily. "The OBE is a winner for football, for Papua New Guinea and the world, especially whenever I chair or attend meetings around the world, and on name lists and cards written representing OFC and Papua New Guinea," he was quoted by the newspaper. Chung, who is also president of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), said the award had motivated him to work harder and thanked those who nominated him. Although initially involved in the rugby league, he became a football player, coach and referee and then a senior official with football in the highlands region. While administering football in the highlands region, he helped secure outside funding as well as contribute personal finance towards the development of the game, which won him presidency of the highlands region. Chung was first elected national soccer president in August 2004 and was elected as OFC senior vice-president in 2007. In January 2011, he was elected unopposed as president of OFC for a four-year term. The OFC credits him with launching Papua New Guinea’s first ever semi-professional football competition in 2006, the Papua New Guinea National Soccer League, as well as boosting grassroots football, supporting women’s football and overseeing a series of infrastructure projects including a national football academy and a regional technical centre. -- BERNAMA