Thanks for the memories, Ishtiaq


KUALA LUMPUR: Former national hurdler Ishtiaq Mubarak died at his home in Hulu Kelang today. He was 65.

His wife, Shamimi Selvarani Abdullah, said that Ishtiaq died around 9.55am at his home in Ampang.

Ishtiaq, who fell in the house before succumbing to head injuries, was buried at the Batu Muda cemetary in Gombak after the Friday prayers.

Former national hurdler Ishtiaq Mubarak
Ishtiaq Mubarak was only one of two Malaysian to have qualified for the semi-finals of the athletics programme in the Olympics.


Former Olympian Tan Sri Dr Mani Jegathesan described Ishtiaq’s death as “a great loss to the country”.

“Ishtiaq was a great guy. A self-driven person who never complained of anything. He had contributed a lot to the country as an athlete and a development coach,” said Jegathesan.

“He had produced a number of talented athletes for the country, including Hanapiah (Nasir).

Ishtiaq also leaves behind two daughters – Shahniz, 26, and Shakira, 24. 

Ishtiaq was born in Malacca and had his early schooling in Seremban before making Kuala Lumpur his home. 

He won fame for the country at the SEA Games, Asian Games and the Olympics.

He was among the only two Malaysians to have qualified for the semi-finals of the athletics programme in the Olympics. He achieved this in the 110m hurdles at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. 

He was also a member of the Malaysian contingent to the 1968 Mexico and 1972 Munich Olympics Games.

He won the silver medal in the 1974 Asian Games in Tehran. He was also the silver medallist in the 1973 and 1975 Asian Track and Field Championships.

An outspoken man, Ishtiaq was a rare breed of athlete who was determined to be a success and fought his way up from scratch.

He used to worked as a sports coordinator with Maybank before taking up coaching. 

But it’s his achievements as an athlete that he will always be remembered for.

There’s also a photograph of him that has stood the test of time – that of a tall, striding and bearded figure, with a bag in one hand, waving to the crowd after one of his events.

Thanks for the memories, Ishtiaq.

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