Former Renowned Sabah Sportsman Dies

KOTA KINABALU, Oct 18 (Bernama) -- Former renowned Sabah sportsman Datuk Dilbagh Singh Kler died here early this morning following a short illness.

He was 76 and is survived by his wife, Datin Amrit Kler, three children and a grandson.

He breathed his last just before 5am at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital 2 after being warded for a week, his eldest daughter, Jaswinder told Bernama.

"It was totally unexpected. But he hasn't been well because he was already old," said Jaswinder, a former New Straits Times journalist and wife to Bernama Sandakan Chief Haslin Gaffor.

The Kota Kinabalu-born Dilbagh was a renowned athlete who represented Malaysia in several international tournaments in the 1960s such as the Olympics and Commonwealth Games (then known as British Empire & Commonwealth Games).

-- BERNAMA

Ishtiaq Mubarak - Our legends in 110 m hurdles!

Ishtiaq Mubarak first represented the country at the 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok where he won a bronze medal in the 110 m hurdles. Eight years later at the 1974 Asian Games, he won a silver medal. He proved his distinction in Asia by winning the silver medal at the Asian Track and Field Championship 1973 and 1975.

The hurdler represented the country at three consecutive Olympic Games - Mexico 1968, Munich 1972, and Montreal 1976. At the 1976 Games, Isthiaq was the only Malaysian to qualify for the semi finals making him only the second Malaysian to do so at the Olympic, after M. Jegathesan in Tokyo 1964. Ishtiaq also the flag bearer for 1976 Olympic Games.

Ishtiaq won the 110m hurdles title at the SEA Games in 1969, 1971, (with new SEA Games record of 14.4), 1973 and 1977.
His national record for the 110 m hurdles (14.08) stood for 15 years until it broken by Nur Haerman Majid.

Istiaq was inducted into the OCM Hall of Fame in 2002.