Tan Jiangbai

Tan Jiangbai made his début in 1927 in Hong Kong’s Group C as an inside-right. Until 1930 he played for the South China Athletic Association (SCAA) Group B team but made occasional appearances in the First Division. By that time, he had changed to the inside-left position. In 1930 he switched to the then-vacant position of left-back, playing for Guangzhou Police and the SCAA. His heading abilities earned him the nickname “Copper Head” and he became an energetic player both defensively and offensively. Tan scored two goals in the title match against Japan at the 1934 Far Eastern Games. His defensive performance in the 1936 Olympic tournament against Britain was considered as outstanding but, after the Olympics, his star was on the decline. In 1937 he was suspended for one year for repeated foul play.

During the war Tan went to Yunnan and joined the Army with the rank of Lieutenant, being responsible for the transport of anti-Japanese goods on the Burma Road. In 1946 he returned to Guangzhou and later moved to Hong Kong with the new Sing Tao club, but struggled with them. One year later he switched to the Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) club and retired in 1948. In the late 1960s, Tan Jiangbei, like the other surviving members of the Chinese Olympic football team were criticized during the “Cultural Revolution”. At the age of 93, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by Hong Kong’s Football Association. The father of famous singer Alan Tam, Tan died in a Hong Kong hospital due to organ failure.