KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 — Malaysia lost a sporting icon today in triple international, Daphne Boudville, who passed away at 77 at Klang Hospital this morning after a long battle with breast cancer.
Daphne represented Malaysia in hockey for three decades and won bronze at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, but also in athletics with a bronze in 800m at the 1965 South East Asia Peninsular (SEAP) Games (renamed to South East Asian Games in 1977), and was a player in the national women’s football team in 1965.
One of Malaysia’s best known athletes Tan Sri Dr Mani Jegathesan has fond memories of Daphne. He recalled how seamlessly she moved from one sport to another during her heyday.
“I was particularly impressed by how she so easily mastered different sports,” said Mani when contacted by Malay Mail.
“She was a natural in whatever sport she took up, unlike me who can only sprint,” he joked.
“An example of this is when I was younger I tried my hand at rugby. I ran very well and impressed everyone. However after 30 minutes they told me ‘Jega you have to carry the ball as well’,” said Jegathesan in a light hearted moment as he fondly recalled the tenacious and hard working nature Daphne took towards her craft.
Former women’s national team captain, K Maheswari, was part of the team in 1982 and had the privilege to play with Daphne who was team captain at the time, just before she retired.
“She was so disciplined. In fact overly disciplined,” Maheswari told Malay Mail.
“She would report for training early, do all the warm-ups and running prior to our sessions. Growing up watching and learning from her was a privilege and she would often encourage us to push ourselves to greater heights.”
National women’s head coach, K Dharmaraj, felt Malaysia had lost an icon in women’s sport.
“I didn’t know her personally but I knew what she had done for women’s hockey. She is one of the few women in the country to have an Asian games medal, which is by far no easy feat,” said Dharmaraj when contacted in Thailand.
National men’s assistant head coach Stephen Van Huizen recalls watching Daphne train under his father, Lawrence Van Huizen, a former national team head coach.
“When I was young she was already in the national team. At the time I was 14 to 15-years-old,” said Stephen.
“She was a dedicated player and when training I could see how hard working she was. She was dedicated to her craft.”
Daphne never married and till the end of her days was still active by doing her walks and jogs every morning. The women’s team have not medalled in the Asian games since 1982.
She was known as an outdoors person even dabbling in netball and badminton at state level.
Daphne was cremated at Nirvana Memorial Park today with a hockey stick in her casket.
