Sun Jinshun

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameSun•Jinshun
Used nameSun•Jinshun
Nick/petnamesIron Legs
Name orderOriental
Original name孙•锦顺
Other namesSuen Kam-Shuen, 孫錦順
Born4 July 1907 in ?, Singapore (SGP)
Died9 August 1995 in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong (HKG)
Measurements168 cm / 80 kg
AffiliationsTung Hwa, Shanghai (CHN)
NOC People's Republic of China

Biography

Born in Singapore into a family from Dongguan, Sun Jinshun came to Hong Kong as a child. At the age of 16 he was elected to the school team of St. Joseph’s College. In 1924 he was discovered by the South China Athletic Association and invited to play in the First Division as inside-right. In 1926 he joined the newly founded Chinese Athletic Association, winning three consecutive titles from 1927 to 1930. In the game against the Philippines, at the 1925 Far Eastern Games, he scored his first goal for the national team while, in the 1927 and 1930 editions, he scored another six goals in four games.

In 1933 Sun moved to Shanghai and played successfully for the You-You and, later, Dong Hua teams. He was fielded for China’s only game during the 1936 Olympics, when his teammate Zheng Jiliang withdrew. Early in the game, Sun missed the best chance for the Chinese team to score. After the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese war, he continued to play in Shanghai for Li Do and again for Dong Hua. He retired after playing his last game for Shanghai during the 1948 National Games. Sun then started coaching the Navy team and various teams in Shanghai, winning the People’s Republic of China’s first national championship. He also held various positions in the Shanghai and Chinese Football Associations. Sun was among the many that were criticized during the Cultural Revolution but his reputation was later restored. He eventually returned to Hong Kong and died in a local hospital.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1936 Summer Olympics Football (Football) CHN Sun Jinshun
Football, Men (Olympic) China =9