Former Olympic footballer Krishnasamy dies aged 72

Former Olympian and national football player V. Krishnasamy died yesterday at the Penang General Hospital here after a long battle with diabetes.

Krishnasamy, 72, had been admitted to hospital on Friday.

The death of Krishnasamy, a member of the Malaysian team to the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, has been described as a great loss to Malaysian football.

His former team-mate in the Malaysian Prisons team, Khalil Hashim, 73, said Krishnasamy was a great player who was very hardworking.

"Samy was like a machine on the field as he never seemed to get tired and worked very well with all his team-mates. I met him last week at an old folks home in Bukit Gelugor and he seemed normal.

"I have known Samy for over 50 years and was shocked to receive a call yesterday from a friend, informing me that Samy has left us," he told reporters at Paya Terubong funeral parlour here today.

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Khalil, who played as a winger, said he was with Krishnasamy in the Malaysian Prisons team who won the FAM Cup in 1970, 1971 and 1973.

Krishnasamy's primary school mate, R. Pitchay, 72, said Krishnasamy was a very strong defensive midfielder and strikers had a tough time playing against him.

"He was so strong that people labelled him 'iron-man', as it was very difficult for players to dribble the ball past him," he said.

Krishnasamy started his football career with the Penang Indian Association and Waterfall Rangers, before representing Penang in the Burnley Cup, where he was spotted by Prisons Department coach Jalil Che Din.

It was while turning out for Prisons in the Taiping League that he was selected for the Perak state team, and the national team in 1967.

He represented Malaysia from 1967 to 1976 and was a member of the 1972 Olympic Games squad, who included Namat Abdullah, M. Chandran, Othman Abdullah and Soh Chin Aun.

After retiring from football, Krishnasamy continued contributing to sports as a technical official in the Penang Amateur Athletics Association for many years.

Krishnasamy is survived by his wife S. Raza, 72, daughter Kassturi, 45, son Thanaselan, 44, and four grandchildren.

His remains were cremated at the Batu Lanchang Hindu Crematorium yesterday afternoon.

-- BERNAMA