KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 (Bernama) -- Datuk Ho Koh Chye, the Malaysian contingent head to the Beijing Olympics in August, died at the Kelana Jaya Medical Centre Wednesday night believed due to prostate cancer.
Ho, 66, leaves behind wife Datin Lee Siew Chan, a son and a daughter.
His close friend, Datuk R. Yogeswaran, said Ho's body was still at the medical centre for autopsy and funeral arrangements would be set by the family.
Yogeswaran who considers the deceased as his own elder brother, said Ho had a minor surgery at the Subang Jaya Medical Centre last week.
"I was told Ho complained of pains late in the evening, probably due to effects of the surgery, and was taken to the Kelana Jaya Medical Centre before dying at about 8pm," he said.
He said they had played hockey for the country together in the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 and the Games in Mexico four years later.
Olympic Council of Malaysia honorary secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi Ho said the country had lost a excellent leader in sports.
He said when Ho was the Malaysian chef de mission to the Beijing Olympics, he had exhibited commendable leadership.
"The national contingent performance report while in Beijing tabled by the deceased two months ago was very detailed and crucial to the preparations for the Olympics in London 2012," he said.
"While in Beijing, we often met in the Malaysian contingent business, and the last time I saw him was two months ago," he said.
He said Ho was not only a determined hockey player but also a sports official committed to the excellence of national sports.
Ho who was born in Seremban on Nov 5, 1942 represented the country four times as a goalkeeper for the national hockey squad in the Jakarta Asian Games in 1962, Tokyo Olympics in 1964, Bangkok Asian Games in 1966 and the Olympic Games in Mexico in 1968.
In 1970, he was given the responsibility as the national coach to prepare the Malaysian squad for the Asian Games in Bangkok before joining the National Sports Council.
His last post before retiring in 1992 was International Preparation Division director.
He had also served as the deputy contingent head to the Asian Games in Hiroshima in 1994.
-- BERNAMA
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