National sports legends in APMG torch relay
GEORGE TOWN: National sports legend, Baba Singhe Peyadesa, was given the honour as one of the torch bearers for Asia Pacific Masters Games 2018 ( APMG) opening ceremony on Saturday night.
The former national sprinter, 71, expressed deep pride for being chosen as one of the torch bearers.
“This is a great honour for me and I did not hesitate when asked to do so. In fact this is one of the proudest moments of my life,” he said.
“APMG 2018 enables senior athletes to continue participating in international competition. This is the first time Malaysia is hosting the masters multi-sport event and we hope more such championships will be held here in future,” the one-time sub- 48 sec 400m sprinter added.
Baba who hailed from Penang, represented Malaysia in the 4x400m relay in the 1972 Munich Olympics with Mohamed Hassan Osman, Sabapathy Sinniah and Datuk T Krishnan.
He also won three gold medals in the SEA Games in the 400m and 4x400m in Singapore in 1973 and the 4x400m in the 1977 edition in Kuala Lumpur.
Apart from Baba, the official torch was also carried in relay by three other national legends from Penang – Datuk Zaiton Othman ( former heptathlon champion), Saik Oik Cum ( former 400m runner) and Cheng Chu Sian (former national archer) – before it was lighted in the City Stadium here.
The 10-day APMG which began Saturday was the first international level masters sports event held in Asia involving 5,564 participants from 64 countries competing in 22 sports such as football, badminton, athletics, swimming, archery, table tennis, squash and tennis. — Bernama