Legenda Bola Sepak Dollah Don Meninggal Dunia Akibat Sakit Tua

JOHOR BAHARU, 24 Dis (Bernama) -- Legenda bola sepak Abdullah Mohd Don atau Dollah Don, 91, meninggal dunia awal pagi tadi akibat sakit tua.

Anak Allahyarham, Ali, 55, berkata bapanya yang pernah mendapat jolokan 'Harimau Malaya' meninggal kira-kira pukul 4 pagi di Hospital Pakar Puteri di sini.

"Allahyarham mula uzur sejak dua tahun lepas dan dibawa ke Unit Kecemasan Hospital Pakar Puteri semalam selepas semakin lemah," katanya di rumah Allahyarham di Taman Datuk Onn, Larkin.

Allahyarham yang kematian isteri empat tahun lepas meninggalkan lima anak serta 15 cucu.

Jenazah Allahyarham selamat dikebumikan di Tanah Perkuburan Islam Mahmoodiah di sini tengah hari Rabu.

Bekas Timbalan Presiden Persatuan Bola Sepak Negeri Johor (PBNJ), Datuk Suleiman Md Noor menyifatkan Dollah Don sebagai pemain bola yang hebat dan individu yang membangunkan bola sepak moden negara.

"Allahyarham pernah beraksi untuk pasukan bola sepak di China, Singapura dan Indonesia pada era 40-an dan 50-an.

"Presiden Indonesia, Seokarno yang memberi gelaran Harimau Malaya kepada Allahyarham selepas terpukau melihat aksi beliau (mewakili Melayu Singapura) menjaringkan hatrik dalam perlawanan menentang sebuah kelab bola sepak Indonesia (Peseja) pada 1953," katanya.

Nicol, a true legend who keeps on going

Malaysia's world No.1 squash player Nicol David flashes an electric smile as she holds aloft the Women's World Championship trophy she won in Cairo on Saturday. This was her eighth career world title. - Squashsite

PETALING JAYA: Turning 31 this year has not been such a bad thing for Malaysian squash queen Nicol David after all.

The world No.1 managed to defy the odds to complete a sensational comeback to win the Women’s World Championship, beating home favourite Raneem El Welily in the final at the Wadi Degla Squash Club in Cairo, Egypt, on Saturday.

Nicol showed supreme mental strength to save four match points in the fourth set as she went on to beat world No.3 Raneem 5-11, 11-8, 7-11, 14-12, 11-5 in 66 minutes.

It was a record eighth world title for the Penangite and her 78th Women’s Squash Association (WSA) Tour title.

With the World Championship success, Nicol is now set to equal the all-time 105-month record of New Zealand’s Susan Devoy as the world No.1. The Malaysian is on a 104-month reign at the top of the squash world.

There were speculations that she was on the decline when she faltered in the semi-finals of the delayed 2013 World Championships, which was held in front of her Penang home crowd early this year.

But Nicol proved the critics wrong. She sank to her knees and shed tears of joy after the winning point on Saturday and dedicated the win to her team and her parents – and effectively sealing her legend status in the women’s game.

“Raneem was playing so well. I had to find something and not let go. I just kept fighting,” said Nicol.
“And I really want to share this win with my team. Liz (Irving) my coach whom I’ve been working with for the past 12 years, my psychologist Frank (Cabooter), the National Sports Council (NSC) and everyone else who has supported my whole career.

“It’s also my parents’ wedding anniversary today (Saturday), so this is a special moment as well.
“I also want to add that Raneem has been a real contender, a role model to every kid in Egypt as well and I have to look out for her in the future,” added Nicol, who has so far been unbeaten in all her eight world meet final appearances.

All in, it has been a successful but hectic year for Nicol. She also won golds medal at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games and led Malaysia to their first-ever second-place finish at the Women’s World Team Championship.

She will now take a break for Christmas and will return to defend her title at the Tournament of Champions in New York, from Jan 16-23.

Ex-national sprinter Thor Gim Soon has passed away

Thor Gim Soon (right) shakes hands with an unknown person during an athletics meet. - Filepic

KUALA LUMPUR: Former national sprinter Thor Gim Soon has passed away.
Known as the “Mighty Thor” by his friends, he won the 4X100m bronze medal in the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games.

He was 74.

The other members of the relay team were Tan Sri Dr M. Jegathesan, V. Vijaratnam and Shahrudin Mohd Ali.

Jamie Thor Lean Mei, 38, said her father passed away on Sunday morning due to pneumonia.
“He loved the sport so much and was even barred from taking his General Certificate of Education (GCE) because he trained all the time. My dad was only 18 then,” she recalled fondly.

Dr Jegathesan said that Thor was a hard working athlete and a good friend whom one could depend on.

“We were close like any other team-mate and would meet up once in a while. It is always sad when a colleague passes away.”

“He was from Perak and we all featured for Malaysia in the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games at the age of 18. It was great winning the bronze in the 4x100m as it was a tipping point for athletics in Malaysia.
“It was also a new adventure for the four of us - Thor, Shahrudin, Vijaratnam and me,” said Dr. Jegathesan.

Thor joined the Taiping Prison Department as a prison officer in 1966 and retired as an assistant superintendent at the Penang Prison Department 33 years later.

He is survived by his wife Tan Poh Swan, 62, daughters Jamie, Cindy Thor Dee Mei 33, Josephine Thor Yu Mei, 28, and son Danny Thor Lean Aik, 32.

His wake was held at the Khoo Kongsi Funeral Parlour in Bandar Baru Ayer Itam. His remains will be cremated at the Batu Gantong Crematorium at 2pm on Tuesday.

Wanita Malaysia Muncul Pengadil Wanita Terbaik Asia 2014

Post by Ini Khairy Lah.

KUALA LUMPUR, 1 Dis (Bernama) -- Pengadil wanita Rita Ghani melakarkan sejarah bola sepak negara apabila memenangi Anugerah Pengadil Wanita Terbaik Asia 2014 sempena Majlis Anugerah Konfederasi Bola Sepak Asia (AFC) di Filipina, semalam.

Pengadil antarabangsa berusia 37 tahun itu berjaya mengatasi pemenang tahun lepas, Sachiko Yamagishi dari Jepun dan calon dari Thailand, Pannipar Kamnueng.

"Saya berasa amat gembira kerana tidak pernah terfikir bahawa saya akan memenangi anugerah ini. Sebenarnya, saya betul-betul terkejut dengan penghargaan ini," Rita dipetik sebagai berkata dalam laman web AFC, www.the-afc.com.

Anggota Jawatankuasa Eksekutif AFC, Sayyid Khalid Hamed Al Busaidi menyampaikan anugerah tersebut kepada Rita.

Rita juga berharap dapat mencapai impiannya untuk menjadi salah seorang pengadil untuk Kejohanan Piala Dunia Wanita FIFA 2015 di Kanada.

"Saya berharap anugerah seperti ini akan membawa saya lebih dekat untuk memenuhi impian itu," katanya.

Sebagai rekod, Rita terbabit dalam enam perlawanan iaitu tiga sebagai pengadil dan tiga sebagai pegawai keempat perlawanan pada Kejohanan Piala Asia Wanita AFC 2014 di Vietnam.

Pada kejohanan itu, Rita mengadili perlawanan separuh akhir antara Korea Selatan dan juara bertahan Australia.

Rita juga mengadili empat perlawanan dan bertindak sebagai pegawai keempat dalam dua perlawanan pada pusingan kelayakan Kejohanan Wanita Asia Bawah 16 Tahun 2015 tahun ini.

Selain itu, beliau juga menjadi pengadil dalam tiga perlawanan termasuk perlawanan penentuan tempat kesembilan pada Piala Algarve 2014 di Portugal, Mac lepas.