KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) has described the death of national football legend Datuk M. Chandran today as a huge loss to Malaysian Football.
FAM secretary-general Stuart Ramalingam said M. Chandran’s great leadership and commitment through his 163 appearances for the national squad, as well as off-the-field conduct, was exemplary for today’s generation of football players.
“I personally knew the deceased, and considered him as my mentor and the person who guided me in football.
“FAM would like to once again offer condolences to the deceased’s family members and to express gratitude to all his services and sacrifices for Malaysian football,” he said in a recent post on FAM’s Facebook page today.
M. Chandran, who died at the age of 77 at his home in Ampang Jaya, early today, had been the captain of the national squad when Malaysia qualified for the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, and was named head coach of the national squad from 1982-1983 and 1988.
He had helped Malaysia win the bronze medal in the 1969 Southeast Asian Peninsular (SEAP) Games, silver in the 1971-edition in Kuala Lumpur and the bronze in 1973-edition in Singapore, before hanging up his boots following Malaysia’s bronze-medal finish in the 1974 Asian Games in Tehran, Iran.
He was also named in the Asian All-Stars squad which lost 2-6 to Arsenal in a friendly in 1968, while winning numerous trophies for Selangor FA, both as a player and coach. — Bernama
