Merdeka Cup' is associated with:

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is (3):
The Merdeka Cup, officially known as Pestabola Merdeka (Independence Football Festival), is an international **Football** tournament hosted by Malaysia. This competition was established in 1957, the very year the Federation of Malaya gained its independence, and was named after the Malay word for 'independence,' reflecting its deep connection to national pride. As a key fact, it is historically recognized as **Asia's oldest international football tournament**. Its purpose was to showcase the new nation's capacity for hosting major international events and to promote football excellence across the continent. The matches played in this tournament are even sanctioned by FIFA as International 'A' friendly matches, cementing its status as a high-level competition for national football teams.

The incorrect options are (1), (2), and (4):
The Merdeka Cup has no association with **Hockey** (Option 1). While Malaysia hosts other significant hockey events, the premier international men's field hockey tournament held in the country is the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, not the Merdeka Cup. **Golf** (Option 2) is a professional sport worldwide, but the Merdeka Cup is strictly a team ball game tournament and is completely unrelated to any major golf competition. Finally, **Badminton** (Option 4) is highly popular and successful in Malaysia, with its own rich history of international events such as the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup, but it is not the sport celebrated by the Merdeka Cup.