Hammering the elusive GOLD

The name Ghenda Singh may not featureprominently in the pages of history books but the sheer grit and determination of this man will surely rank amongst the country's most famous sportsmen.

Genda was a hammer thrower who ruled supreme at national level and donned national colours with pride despite the fact that honours did not come his way from the international front.

What made Ghenda stand ahead and shoulders above the other, apart from his frame, was the fact that he was an active participant right until the age of 51 - or until he retired from the police force.

This is all the more remarkable as many of his compatriots in athletics had call it quits while being only in their 20s. As they went on to focus on thier families and jobs, Ghenda sacrificed his time and effort to bring honours to the nation.

R.I.P Ghenda Singh

Former national hammer thrower, Ghenda Singh Amar Singh passed away at the University Malaya Medical Centre on Sunday (9/10/11). He was 89.

I do not know Ghenda that well but I have been a close friend with his son Semret Singh, another national hammer thrower, since the 1980s. I know how much Semret looked up to his father and at this time, I would like to extend my deepest condolence to Semret and his brothers and sister.

Semret continued the tradition and won two Sea Games gold medals (1985 Bangkok and 1989 KL) and even broke his father's record of 44.14m after managing 51.644m at the Police Games in 1986.

The earlier record was set by Ghenda in 1966 in Ipoh.

Ghenda started competing in 1960 and retired after the 1977 KL Seap Games at the age of 55. A pectoral muscle tear did not stop him as he defied doctors' orders to compete in the 1977 Games. He won the bronze medal.

Ghenda leaves behind wife Mohinder Kaur, sons — Semret, Kulwant, Kaldip, Manohor, Mahinderjit — and daughter Persin Kaur to mourn his loss.

Those wishing to pay their last respects can do so at No 2, Jalan BRP 4/10, Bukit Rahman Putra, Sungai Buloh, 47000, Selangor. The cottage will leave the house at 10.00am on Wednesday to Jalan Loke Yew Cemetery in Kuala Lumpur. - FAIR PLAY

Former Pahang star Azam is dead

FORMER Pahang footballer Azam Bakar, who guided the state to their first Malaysia Cup title in 1983, lost his battle against cancer yesterday.

The 54-year-old defender died at the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital in Kuantan about 12.30pm after fighting liver cancer for more than two months, which eventually left him bedridden.

Azam, from Kampung Seberang Guai, Temerloh, was a member of the victorious Pahang team that also featured Rosmaini Mohd Shah, Datuk Jamal Nasir and Tajuddin Nor, who edged Selangor 3-2 after extra-time at Merdeka Stadium.

After donning state colours between 1978 and 1984, the father of four chose to hang up his boots and turned to coaching.

He became assistant to former chief coach Mike Brown who led Pahang to their second Malaysia Cup title in 1992.

He also served as assistant to former Pahang coach Jorgen E. Larsen and Fuzzeimi Ibrahim before signing up as coach for the Pahang Agriculture Development Authority side that featured in the 1995 Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) League.

Azam leaves behind wife, Zainab Arifin, 52 and four children, Azrul Syaffiq, 26, Alia Syafiqa, 23, Amirul Syafiqq, 21 and Aidil Syafiq, 16.

Present at the Bukit Ubi Muslim burial ground yesterday were former teammates, including Tajuddin, Abdullah Din and Terengganu T-Team coach Yunus Aliff. -- T.N. ALAGESH

Former National Footballer Seeks Help To Pay Medical Bills

GEORGE TOWN, Sept 21 (Bernama) -- A former national footballer, who played in the 1960s, is seeking help to pay for his medical expanses for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and kidney failure.

Wheelchair-bound Abu Hassan Mohamad, 74, who is also a Prisons Department pensioner, had his right leg amputated two weeks ago due to diabetes.

"I have to undergo dialysis treatment three times a week and admitted a few times a year at the Penang Hospital," he told reporters here Wednesday.

He is asking for help from the National Athlete Welfare Foundation, the Football Association of Malaysia, the Penang Football Association and the public as he had to spent almost his entire pension of about RM1,000 to pay his monthly medical bills.

Abu Hassan, who played as a left winger, was fielded when the national squad played to a 1-1 draw in a friendly against England B at Merdeka Stadium in 1978 and retired at the age of 35 before coaching the Penang squad.

He had played alongside Ghani Mihad, Dutton Harold, Datuk M Kuppan, S Govindarajo, Jalil Che Din and Kamaruddin Ahmad in the national squad besides donning Penang and Perak jerseys.

Abu Hassan, who resides at the Penang Development Corporation Flat in Lebuh Nipah, Sungai Nibong with his wife, Norsiah Mydin, 62, has three sons, who already have families of their own and they could not foot the medical bills.

Abu Hassan could be reached at 013-5042015.

Badminton legend David dies

Sunday September 11, 2011

GEORGE TOWN: (Three-time All-England doubles champion and former politician Datuk David Choong Ewe Leong died in his home in Jalan Pantai Molek off Jalan Tanjung Tokong here.

He was 82.

His brother Datuk Eddy Choong, 81, whom he partnered to win consecutive badminton titles from 1951, said David died at 6.30am yesterday after being in a coma for nine years following a stroke.

“The whole family is saddened by his death, but we have to accept it as God's will,” Eddy said.

Prominent champ: A portrait of David with his trophies during his heyday.

 

“We went through many hardships in life, such as the Japanese occupation. My brother was an intelligent person.

“Even in badminton, he was the brains while I was the brawn.”
Eddy recalled the pain each time he visited his brother in recent years. “It really hurt that he could not recognise me.”

David leaves behind three sons and a daughter.

The funeral is expected to take place in Pulau Tikus at 2pm tomorrow.

David also shared the All-England mixed doubles crown with June White Timperly in 1953. He was inducted into the International Badminton Hall of Fame in 1998.

The former Penang Free School student, who read law at Trinity College in Cambridge University, returned to Malaysia after Merdeka and joined MCA.

He was the party's former Penang Youth chief.

David was also a former state executive councillor having won the seat in the 1961 Penang City Council elections on an MCA ticket.

Negri mourns the demise of two internationals

TWO double internationals from Negri Sembilan, M. Joseph, 77, and Peter van Huizen, 75, have died.

Peter died on Sunday, while Joseph died yesterday morning.

Both were a rare breed who played hockey and football for the country, something present day sportsmen can't even dream of doing.

Peter only started playing hockey when he was 20, and that too by chance as he happened to be at the Negri Sembilan Padang and was invited to play for the Negri Sembilan Ceylonese Association (NSCA).

He went on to become a pillar between the posts in hockey and was among the 18 young men who represented Malaysia at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo. Peter was voted world's Best Goalkeeper in 1956.

He also played football for Negri Sembilan Indians Association (NSIA) and Seremban Rangers, the Negri state team in 1952 and represented Malaysia at the 1959 SEAP Games in Bangkok.

Peter then started coaching Seremban Municipal Council in 1985 and among the goalkeepers he spotted and trained were Hamdan Hamzah, who played for the National Juniors in 1989, Osbert Pinto (a winger turned goalkeeper) and recent former international and goalkeepers' coach Nasihin Nubli.

And Joseph was also made of the same stuff, as he too represented the country in hockey and football.

He represented then Malaya in football from 1947 to 1953, while in hockey, he played in the 1958 Tokyo Asian Games and in the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games.

After he retired, Joseph or fondly called 'One-eyed Jo', started coaching in the early 1980s and under his coaching were G. Torairaju, Tony Chia and Zainuddin Hussein.

Joseph kept himself active by playing in the NS League for NSCA as well as the state veterans' squad.

Negri Sembilan HA secretary P. Tamilselvan said both Peter and Joseph were prides of the state.

"Both of them were pillars of society as well as sports and it is a great loss to the state," said Tamilselvan.