The award, which was given in recognition of his contributions to Malaysian sports, was presented by youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh.

However, Norza, who is the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president, was not on hand to receive the award as he is attending the 45th Olympic Council of Asia general assembly in Kuwait.

The OCM’s deputy president Nur Azmi Ahmad accepted the award on Norza’s behalf.

Norza resigned as BAM president last year, after seven years at the helm.

During his tenure, he introduced EPF and Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) benefits for national players.

Under Norza, Malaysia racked up 36 Badminton World Federation titles and made the likes of Pearly Tan and M Thinaah, who became the first women’s doubles pair to win the French Open, household names.

When contacted, Ashraf Abdullah, a former group managing editor of Media Prima TV Networks, said there were many successes during Norza’s stewardship of BAM.

A pivotal move was his decision to engage Pemandu Associates to help restructure BAM’s operations – an initiative that brought professional rigour, accountability and strategic planning into the heart of the organisation.

“This award isn’t just about his past roles, it’s about the ripple effect of his leadership across the entire sports ecosystem,” he told FMT.

Ashraf said having worked with Norza on several OCM sub-committees, he had witnessed first-hand the clarity and conviction the latter brought to every discussion.

Norza, he said, walked the talk when it came to reform.

“His leadership is rooted in substance,” he said, adding that as OCM president, Norza had modernised the organisation’s approach, championed athletes’ welfare, and pushed for more strategic collaboration across national sports bodies.”