KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 — Former national hammer throw great Semret Singh passed away this morning. He was 66.
His second son, Amarraj Singh, said his father died at 9.30am at his residence in Sungai Buloh.
Apart from Amarraj, Semret also leaves behind his wife, Gurdip Kaur, 61, and three other sons.
“We (family) were surprised by his sudden death today as he was totally fit and had no past medical issues,” he told Bernama when contacted today.
Amarraj, 35, said his father’s body had been sent to the Sungai Buloh Hospital for a post-mortem to determine the cause of his death.
Amarraj, who owns a security firm, said that once his father’s body is returned to them, the remains of the two-time SEA Games champion would be taken to the Loke Yew Crematorium in Kuala Lumpur for the public to pay their last respects.
“We are not sure when the remains will be brought to the Loke Yew Crematorium. It all depends on the post-mortem,” he said, adding that his father, who turned to coaching in the 1990s, was a very motivated and confident person.
“He was such an inspiration to me and someone to look up to, especially in sports. He was indeed a great father and we truly miss him,” he added.
Apart from winning the SEA Games gold medal at the 1985 Bangkok and 1989 Kuala Lumpur editions, Semret also bagged three silver medals in the 1981 edition (Manila), 1983 (Singapore) and 1987 (Jakarta).
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah also expressed their condolences to Semret’s family members.
According to a post on the Istana Negara Facebook page, Their Majesties expressed sadness over Semret’s passing and hoped that his family will remain patient and resilient in coping with the loss.
“Their Majesties are very appreciative of his devotion, service and sacrifice to the country and described Semret’s passing as a great loss to the sport of hammer throw in the country,” according to the post.
— Bernama
