'Ola Bola' Theme Song Wins Best Original Song at the 53rd Golden Horse Awards

The US-based singer started her acceptance speech in fluent Mandarin and continued in English, “I thought I was here just to perform the song. Thank you Director Chui for this incredible opportunity. This is an amazing project to be a part of as it is about unity, diversity and harmony, and it is to remind us that we are all the same.”

"Arena Cahaya" beat China’s "It’s Cold Without Your Love" from Big Fish and Begonia, China’s "Sawadika" from Detective Chinatown, Taiwan’s "Love Without Words" from Lokah Laqi! Hang in There, Kids!, and China’s "(It’s Not A Crime) It’s Just What We Do" from Soul Mate.

Also present at the awards was Ola Bola director Chiu Keng Guan. Rendra said in an interview earlier this year that Chiu wanted a song that is timeless, inspiring, and instills unity and hope. “The mission was for the song to be simple, relatable, memorable, yet achieve the intended spirit of hope and unity. Most important of all, the chorus had to have a killer hook – something people would hum to after hearing it,” Rendra said.

Ola Bola has earned RM16.67 million at the Malaysian box office so far, making it the fourth-highest grossing local film of all-time. In September, the movie won three awards at the Malaysian Film Festival for Best Costume, Original Song and Score. It also received a Special Jury Award for achievements for encouraging unity and family values through sports.