PHUKET: Hockey legend Wilfred "Freddie" Vias was a magnanimous personality.
Known affectionately as Uncle Freddy, he was one of the last two surviving members of Malaya's 1956 Melbourne Olympics hockey team.
Vias, who succumbed to an illness at the age of 94 at 1.45pm on Tuesday at his Petaling Jaya home in Selangor, was vice-captain of that team.
The lone surviving member of that team now is Tan Sri P. Alagendra, who will turn 93 on July 23.
According to Vias' close family friend Kuldip Singh Durbara Singh, Vias was a rare gem and left an indeliable mark in Malaysian hockey.
He said the deceased's family, led by daughter Shoba, were having a wake ceremony today and Thursday at the Paul Miki Room of the St Francis Xavier church in Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya.
Kuldip added that there would be a funeral mass on Friday at the church, before the cortege leaves for the MBPJ crematorium in Jalan 223.
Kuldip, who played tennis for Malaysia from 1971 to 1981, said he was just 17 in 1972 and visiting the then Minister of Sports Tan Sri Hamzah Abu Samah before flying to England for the English Junior Tennis Circuit when introduced to Uncle Freddy.
"He was very friendly to me and the late Chow Weng Wah.
"At my marriage in 1984 to my late wife, Gurjeet Kaur, I met Uncle Freddy again.
"His family are very close friends with my wife's family.
"We recognised each other immediately and a beautiful close friendship developed over the last 38 years as we met over many family functions," said Kuldip.
Malaysia's 1975 Kuala Lumpur hockey World Cup captain Datuk Seri N. Sri Shanmuganathan expressed sadness over Vias' demise.
"I saw him was pioneering as the country's first hockey team to play in the Olympics (in Melbourne)
"Vias was a hard-hitting, towering defender, yet a gentleman on and off the pitch with great self-discipline and a high level of commitment to the game," said Shanmuganathan.
He added that Vias was someone whom younger players looked up to, as he proved that there was a career after one's active playing days were over.
Vias was inducted into the Olympic Council of Malaysia's Hall of Fame in 2004 for his immense contributions to the development of sports in the country.
Meanwhile, Royal Selangor Club player Charles Lim described Vias as a hockey legend.
Lim said Uncle Freddy was the eldest son among three siblings of the Vias family.
"He is renowned for his talent in sports and was educated in St John's Institution, Kuala Lumpur. Following in the footsteps of his late father, Uncle Freddy first picked up cricket at the Selangor Indian Association field at Kampung Attap, where he spent almost all his free time as a young boy.
"His sporting talent was quickly recognised by the railway men and he was soon indulging in many other sports such as hockey, football, tennis, badminton, golf - you name it, he played it!
"In fact, during the Japanese occupation, he even played baseball "Freddy told me that's the only sport they knew how to play!" said Lim.
Vias had told Lim that back in their days where sportsmen played for the love and pride of the country, the Malaysian hockey team had to raise their own funds.
"Uncle Freddy held the fort on the left-side of the Malaysian defence and terrorised the opponents with his powerful hits during short corners, up till his retirement from international hockey in 1961," said Lim.
In 1964, Lim said Uncle Freddy started his tertiary studies in Social Studies at University Malaya (Singapore campus), Dunearn Road on a government scholarship.
"Despite the many requests from his campus mates to pick up the hockey stick again, Uncle Freddy stuck to his books.
"At 36 years of age then, he was the oldest student in his class and very determined to prove that age was no barrier.
"Graduating two years later, he returned home to continue his work as a Probation Officer with the Ministry of Social Welfare," said Lim.
A qualified hockey and cricket umpire, Uncle Freddy continued his contributions to the sporting fraternity in the many other administrative positions.
Lim said Vias was the first secretary-general of the National Sports Council (NSC) and was also the first sports manager of RSC.
The Sultan Ahmad Shah (SAS) veterans team was also initiated by Uncle Freddy on the sidelines of the RSC when he mooted the idea to the then Yang Di-Pertuan Agung of Malaysia in the 1980s and continued to manage and coach the team until the early 1990s.
"With his years of experience in the Ministry of Social Welfare (and subsequently at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports), his education background and his passion to help people, Uncle Freddy was asked to start the counselling centre at the Church of St Francis Xavier in the 1980s.
"The centre has helped scores of parishioners and continues to operate today. Uncle Freddy was passionate about the centre he started over 30 years ago and continued to contribute his time and effort to people who needed it most.
"I must declare that this man is not just a hockey legend, but he is one fantastic human being. His warmth, sense of humour and caring nature was immediately apparent. A thoroughbred Johannian, one can only imagine what a charismatic and delightful character he must have been in his younger days!" summed up Lim.