Thomas H. Suvoong

Shu Hong’s family came from Cixi in Zhejiang. In Shanghai, he attended the YMCA high school and later St. John’s University. After a year of service in France during World War II, he entered Springfield College and graduated in 1923 under his anglicized name Thomas H. Suvoong. There, he studied basketball rules and officiating. After obtaining a master’s degree in hygiene from Clark University, he returned to teach at various universities in Nanjing, Shanghai and Hangzhou. Suvoong was one of the co-founders of the “Chinese Sports Referee Association” serving as president from 1927-28. He was also accepted as a full member by the “American Referees Association”.

At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Suvoong was appointed as one of the referees of the final of the basketball tournament, although he was officially accredited as assistant coach of the Chinese team. His abilities as a referee had been confirmed by James Naismith, the inventor of the game, who knew Suvoong from Springfield.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Suvoong continued to work as professor at the Zhejiang Normal University in Hangzhou and director of the Department of Physical Education. In the Zhejiang province, he served as deputy director of the Sports Commission, chairman of the Zhejiang Basketball Association, and member of the Political Advisory Conference for the Democratic League. Suvoong died of lung cancer.