The first ever footbal match played in North Borneo (Sabah) was at Sandakan on 6 April 1899. Jesselton (Kota Kinabalu) itself has the first football match on 31 August 1901. Jesselton itself did not exist when Sandakan played with the HMS Rattler football team in 1899 during the visit of HMS Rattler ship to Sandakan, North Borneo. However, a young Cadet named A.C. Pearson who subsequently rose to be a Governor of North Borneo Chartered Company presented in 1917, the first League Shield played at Jesselton.
HMS Rattler.
Part of HMS Rattler crews when they arrived in Manchuria, China.
Football League competitions sprang up in the various parts of North Borneo and while the football as one of the sports had its regular innings of Inter-Town competition for the Hone Cup Games instituted in 1950 through the initiative of the Governor Sir Ralph Hone. It was not until the putting of Goode Cup by Sir William Goode, the last Governor of British North Borneo, saw the birth of Inter-District competition and sports history of Sabah was made on the first Goode Cup final at Tawau on 22 October 1960, the North Borneo Amateur Football Association (NBAFA) was born. Later on in 1963, NBAFA changed its name into Sabah Amateur Football Association (SAFA)
SAFA emblem.
Honourable Tun Fuad Stephens who was destined to be the first Chief Minister of Sabah on establishment of Malaysia became the first President of NBAFA. He was also Chef de Mission of the Malaysian team to the Tokyo Olympic Games 1964.
Tun Fuad Stephens.
While SAFA was being planned after the Goode Cup preliminaries got under way, the question of introduction of the Borneo Cup for inter-territorial competition between Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah was mooted on 12 April 1960 and a beautiful trophy put up by Borneo Company made its appearance. As NBAFA was already formed, the team headed by Mr Lee Yun Shu went to Sarawak for the first Borneo Cup match. Unfortunately, the White Rajahs (Sarawak) team won the first Borneo Cup on 29 October 1960 and retained the Borneo Cup trophy in 1961 too. NBAFA managed to win the Borneo Cup later on 1962.
Borneo Cup 1962 Champion.
North Borneo Amateur Football Association (NBAFA) team.
Back row: Mr. Pang Hong Kong, Datuk Haji Mohd Mansoor, Khoo Eng Huat and Voo Tsun Fah.
Centre squatting: Chan Man Huen, Rafael and Ismail.
Centre sitting: Rukiman, Wahab, Khoo, Khoo Hui Keng and Ismail.
Borneo Cup 1963 Champion.
Sabah Amateur Football Association (SAFA) team.
*Reminder: Anyone who wants to contribute their sources/artifacts to be review in this blog, do not hesitate to contact Aizusan the curator at this e-mail address: faiz_mapy07@yahoo.com
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