Former sports writer Satwant dies at 59

KUALA LUMPUR - Former sports writer and administrator Satwant Singh Dhaliwal died of a heart attack in Tampin, Negeri Sembilan today. He was 59.

His brother, Jusvir Singh, when contacted by Bernama, said the former Malay Mail sports journalist collapsed while having breakfast at a shop near his house before being confirmed dead by a doctor upon arrival at the Tampin Hospital.

"The doctor confirmed that he died due to a heart attack. He used to frequent the dialysis centre for treatment due to kidney disease and diabetes.

"Previously, he was bedridden but he recovered and was able to carry on with his daily routine. But since our father died in June, my younger brother seemed kind of down and looked ill again,” he said.

Jusvir said his brother also used to serve in the Athletes Training Unit, International Preparation Division of the National Sports Council (NSC) and that his remains will be cremated at the Jasin Eternal Memorial Park, Melaka at 2 pm tomorrow (Oct 15) after prayers at 11am.

Meanwhile, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, in expressing his condolences, described Satwant as a dedicated journalist who was synonymous with sports in the country.

"When I was the Youth and Sports Minister, he was among the sports industry’s personalities who used to give concrete views on the country’s sports development,” he said in a Facebook post today.

NSC director-general Datuk Ahmad Shapawi Ismail also expressed his condolences.

"He was not only one of the most experienced journalists who wrote about the development of sports in the country, but he was also fearless in giving his views and wrote critical commentaries which encouraged all parties to always raise their efforts for the sake of the country’s sports development,” he said in a statement today.

Satwant, who was among the most vocal sports writers, also used to serve as a media officer, including for the Sultan of Johor Cup and Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHF) tournaments. - BERNAMA