KUALA LUMPUR: Former national hammer thrower M. Dattaya died this morning in Melbourne, Australia. He was 90.
Former three-time SEA Games shot put gold medallist Nashatar Singh told Bernama that Dattaya passed away at his daughter’s house Down Under.
“I do not know what he died of. I received the news from one of my Whatsapp groups comprising former national athletes.
“All I know is that he was wheelchair-bound for the past three years. I last contacted him last year,” said the 85-year-old Nashatar.
Meanwhile, former three-time men’s 400-metre national champion K. Jayabalan described Dattaya as a “hardworking and jolly-type comrade”.
“He was a good friend of mine. We always go out to eat together when we had centralised training camp back then,” he said.
Besides winning the SEA Games gold medal in 1971, 1973 and 1979, Dattaya also won several medals in discus throw at international meets.
