Zheng Jiliang

Zheng Jiliang’s family was originally from Guangdong but he was born in Singapore. There, he excelled as a center forward. In 1933, Zheng joined the South China Athletic Association team in Hong Kong, replacing the injured Ye Beihua on the left wing. At the 1934 Far Eastern Games, he was a member of the Chinese team that won the championship. One year later, he won the championship at the Sixth National Games, representing Hong Kong. For the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Zheng Jiliang was originally the first choice to play left winger, but he abstained voluntarily because of a lack of confidence. Two years later, Zheng retired and returned to Singapore concentrating on his business.

After World War II, Zheng went to Jakarta in Indonesia to enhance his company’s business. Zheng Jiliang went on to become the wealthiest of his former teammates with estimated assets of more than 10 million yuan in 1957. During this time the average salary amounted to only a few hundred yuan per month. When the Chinese national football team passed through Singapore on the way to the 1948 London Olympics, Zheng Jiliang represented a Chinese veteran team in a charity match against a British veteran team. He was also an ardent table tennis player, winning the Singapore Open and introducing a rubber coated paddle to Singapore.