PETALING JAYA: Former national hockey player and Olympian R. Ramakrishnan passed away at the age of 72 on Saturday (Feb 28).
Ramakrishnan, a respected figure in Malaysia's hockey fratenity and part of a generation that helped lay foundation for the nation's proud tradition in the sport, died of a heart attack.
He earned over 100 caps for Malaysia, played in the 1972 Munich Olympics and three World Cups, including the 1975 edition in Kuala Lumpur, where they had their best-ever fourth place finish.
Ramakrishnan, who played as a half-back, also competed at the 1974 Tehran and 1978 Bangkok Asian Games, bringing home bronze medals for Malaysia.
He represented Perak, and earned the nickname 'tormentor' on the pitch.
Former national player Datuk Mirnawan Nawawi, who followed in the footsteps of former great players such as Ramakrishnan, said it was a big loss to the hockey fraternity.
“My sincere condolences to his family. He was such a soft-spoken person,” said Mirnawan.
“I knew him well. We met a few times over coffee and sometimes talked about hockey.
“He was humble. Even though he had played hockey at the highest levels, he always offered advice to young players and encouraged them.
“He was among the youngest players in the team during his time and was outstanding on the pitch.”
