Santokh Singh in a coma

2009/11/20

KUALA LUMPUR: National football legend Santokh Singh has lapsed into a coma at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital after collapsing at his home on Monday. FA of Selangor secretary-general Datuk Hamidin Amin said the 59-year-old former Selangor defender was warded on Monday and fell into a coma the following day from an apparent viral infection.

“After speaking to Santokh’s wife, he apparently suffered from chills and fell in his home on Monday. After being admitted to hospital, he fell into a coma on Tuesday from which he has yet to recover,” Hamidin said after visiting Santokh at KLH today.

Santokh formed a formidable defensive partnership with Datuk Soh Chin Aun for both club and country in the 1970s and 1980s and starred for Selangor alongside the legendary Mokhtar Dahari and goalkeeper R. Arumugam.

After being plucked from the Selangor Burnley Cup team by coach Datuk Ghani Minhat, the burly defender went on to win the Malaysia Cup with Selangor nine times from 1972 to 1985.

He made his national team debut in 1972 and featured in the side which qualified for and played at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.

Santokh helped Malaysia win a bronze medal at the 1974 Teheran Asian Games and back-to-back Sea Games triumphs in 1977 and 1979.

Santokh would have made a second Olympic appearance after the national side qualified for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, but Malaysia’s subsequent boycott denied him the honour.