Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
Sports Watch
THIS is a story of perseverance, a family's devotion and a widow's might. ‘Ching Dothe
Magician’
could kickThanks to Esther Kim's tireless efforts, her late husband Ching Do Kim has officially been recognized as a record-holder by the "Guinness Book of World Records."
After a three-year correspondence with the Guinness people, she finally received a certificate that said:
"The longest claimed field goal is one measured a world record 78 yards, barefooted by Ching Do Kim at Honolulu Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA on 23 November 1944."
In an accompanying letter, Esther Kim also was congratulated and informed that her late husband is officially a Guinness World Records record-holder and is now under consideration for entry in its best-selling book.
"At long last," said the widow of the former University of Hawaii football player and coach and also a longtime Hawaii Senior League legend.
At 5 feet, 6 inches, 160 pounds during his playing days for the Rainbows, Kim was described as a "watch charm guard" by Honolulu sportswriters of the 1940s such as Bill Gee, Joe Anzivino and Red McQueen.
But he was more like a feisty bulldog in build and temperament as a player then coach and on the golf course where I got to know him better before he died in 1997 at the age of 79.
He was perhaps more well known as coach of the Leialums senior football team that played UH and other college teams who came here for a second game, namely Fresno State and San Jose State.
In those days, you came by steamship that almost took a week to get here. So it was a good place to play two.
Kim also took his Leialums to the West Coast. A trip in 1947 saw them play Fresno State, Loyola, Portland and San Jose State, which handed them their only defeat.
On that four-game swing, his star running back named Wally Yonamine drew enough attention to get scholarship offers from a lot of schools, including Ohio State.
Instead, Yonamine signed a pro contract with the San Francisco 49ers.
When the late Mackay Yanagisawa thought of the idea of inviting the best college football players for an all-star game at the old Honolulu Stadium in 1947, he wanted Kim's Leialums to be the opposition.
They beat a California team made up mostly of UCLA stars who played in the Rose Bowl the week before, 26-20.
That game was the start of the Hula Bowl.
THE Leialums were the scourge of the local senior league. The team was composed of more than Leilehua alumni, obviously. It was more like a Hawaii all-star team. Yonamine, for example, was the prep back of the year at Farrington High.
Kim, a Leilehua High alum, was quite a recruiter, as well.
But, now, we're talking about Kim's amazing 78-yard field goal.
No wonder, he was known as "Ching Do, the Magician."
Perhaps two of the best kickers locally put on quite an exhibition on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23, 1944, at the old Honolulu Stadium.
It occurred at halftime of a game between the Manoans -- the University of Hawaii had no football during the years of World War II -- and all-star players from Farrington and McKinley.
Johnny Wright punted a football 87 yards barefooted. Then Kim kicked his 78-yard field goal, also barefooted.
It took 56 years, but Kim's field goal, though not kicked under actual game conditions, has finally been given its long overdue recognition.
And it has caused a widow's heart to sing for joy.
Bill Kwon has been writing about
sports for the Star-Bulletin since 1959.