Helen Heng

Early life Helen was born in Singapore to Mr Heng Mui Cheng and Madam Han Huai Cheng. She had three brothers and an elder sister named Mary Sim (née Heng), whom also played competitive badminton. With her family members being great badminton enthusiasts, she was urged by her father to join the United Family Badminton Party which consists of her own family members, relatives and friends in the mid-1946 when she was 13.

There she pick up the game rapidly and her talent was noticed by her father and uncle and they entered her for the 1947 Singapore girls' singles and doubles championships while she was still schooling at the Methodist Girls' School.

Badminton career In late 1947, Helen entered into the seniors competition for the first time at the Singapore Open and performed amicably, beating former women's singles champion, Alice Pennefather on route to the final. She, however, would lose to Chung Kon Yoong in a competitive women's singles final. Sensing that Helen could go on to greater heights, her father and uncle started to trained her more systematically with sparing sessions against them to gauge her progression. She then partnered Ong Siew Eng to win her first Singapore Open women's doubles title when they defeated the Eurasian pair of Eunice de Souza and Alice Pennefather, 7–15, 18–14, 15–11. She also took part in the mixed doubles by partnering with Ong Poh Lim but they went down in the final to the brother and sister pairing of Wong Peng Soon and Waileen Wong in straight sets.

From 1949 to 1955, Helen dominated the Singapore women badminton scene, winning a record seven consecutive Singapore Open women's singles titles after missing out for the past two years. She reached three more final in 1950, 1951 and 1952, losing to Cecilia Samuel on all three occasion in tightly contested rubber games. Helen's dominance in the region mean she could have participate in the prestigious All-England Championships but she decided not to do so in order to focus on her studies.

Helen was also part of the first Malayan Uber Cup squad that competed against Hong Kong in 1956 and won 6–1. She played only in the doubles and partnered Tan Gaik Bee to win both their matches against Diana Yung and Ulian Khoo in the first doubles, 15–5, 17–16 and Helen Kwong and Cinder Hon in the fourth doubles, 15–8, 15–6. In October that year, Helen decided to take a one year sabbatical to concentrate on her undergraduate studies and did not defend her Singapore Open women's singles and doubles titles. She did return to play in Uber Cup Asia Zone final against India in December which Malaya lost 3–4. Partnering with Tan Gaik Bee again, they lost both their matches to Mrs. Lotwalla and Mrs. Athavale and to Mrs. Prashar and Mrs. Kapadia.

After the Uber Cup competition, Helen decided to retire from game, citing that the death of her father in mid-1950s make it hard for her to continue playing due the influence her father had on her career and the sad memories that will come along with it now that her father is no longer by her side. and graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Arts. She married Dee Ong Yoke Cheong, an executive in an oil company and together they had a son.

Achievements Tournaments Women's singles Year Tournament Opponent Score Result Ref1947 Singapore Open Chung Kon Yoong 7–11, 8–11 Runner-up 1948 Singapore Open Ong Siew Eng 10–12, 11–2, 7–11 Runner-up 1949 Singapore Open Ong Heng Kwee 11–7, 11–0 Winner 1950 Malaysia Open Cecilia Samuel 12–10, 10–12, 7–11 Runner-up 1951 Malaysia Open Cecilia Samuel 3–11, 12–11, 8–11 Runner-up 1952 Malaysia Open Cecilia Samuel 9–11, 12–9, 9–12 Runner-up 1953 Singapore Open Baby Low 15–2, 15–3 Winner 1954 Singapore Open Baby Low 11–3, 11–0 Winner 1955 Singapore Open Baby Low 11–3, 11–5 Winner 1950 Singapore Open Mary Sim Baby Low Suzie Pang 15–7, 15–9 Winner 1951 Singapore Open Mary Sim Ong Siew Eng Teo Tiang Seng 15–10, 15–4 Winner 1952 Singapore Open Mary Sim Doreen Kiong Alice Pennefather 15–5, 15–5 Winner 1954 Singapore Open Baby Low Nancy Ang Tan Chooi Neoh 15–1, 15–7 Winner 1955 Singapore Open Baby Low Eunice de Souza Jessie Ong 13–15, 15–7, 15–4 Winner

Mixed doubles Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result Ref1948 Singapore Open Ong Poh Lim Wong Peng Soon Waileen Wong 5–15, 8–15 Runner-up