FORMER Olympian and one of Malaysia's most respected athletes Datuk Ho Koh Chye (pic) died suddenly yesterday evening at a hospital in Kelana Jaya. Koh Chye, who was Malaysian Chef-de-Mission to the Beijing Olympics in August, was 66.

He is survived by wife Karen, daughter Adeline and son Ian.

Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) deputy president Datuk Dr. M. Jegathesan said the cause of death had yet to be ascertained.

"He was recovering at home after prostrate surgery (which he underwent last week) and he was rushed to the hospital by his wife today (yesterday)," said Jegathesan.

Koh Chye's Beijing assignment capped a perfect career in sports as he featured in the 1964 Olympics as a hockey goalkeeper and skippered the 1968 Olympics squad.
Koh Chye was a former National Sports Council (NSC) director of international preparations and was the manager of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics hockey squad.

Hockey was always his passion and Koh Chye always found himself involved in the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF), his most recent appointment being into the Wawasan Committee by newly-elected president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.