Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Obituary: Sabah great dies

The late Datuk Gabuh Piging showing a photograph of himself in
action during a visit by the National Athletes Foundation (Yakeb) to his home in Kampung Lomondou, Tambunan recently.
 
The late Datuk Gabuh Piging showing a photograph of himself in action during a visit by the National Athletes Foundation (Yakeb) to his home in Kampung Lomondou, Tambunan recently.
 
The late Datuk Gabuh Piging showing a photograph of himself in action during a visit by the National Athletes Foundation (Yakeb) to his home in Kampung Lomondou, Tambunan recently. 
SABAH’S most illustrious track and field athlete Datuk Gabuh Piging died in Tambunan on Tuesday evening. He was 78.

At the height of his career, Gabuh competed in the long jump and triple jump in the Olympics as well as the British Empire and Commonwealth Games between 1956 and 1962.

Gabuh also had the distinction of holding the national triple jump record of 15.16m for 25 years between 1962 and 1987 before it was bettered by another Sabahan, Sidek Sahak.
The former drum major with the police force succumbed to a series of illness and old age, according to friends who visited the family at their home yesterday.

Sabah Amateur Athletics Association president Paiman Abdul Karim said Gabuh had been an inspirational figure to many athletes from the 1960s.

Former sprinter Surahmat Sunarno echoed similar sentiments about Gabuh, who was known for his determined and commanding character both on and off the track


Read more: NST

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