Lausanne, Sept 5, 2012: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was saddened to learn of the death of IOC Honorary Member Tan Sri Hamzah Abu Samah, yesterday at the age of 88.
An IOC member since 1978, Abu Samah was a member of the IOC’s Juridical (1984-1985), Cultural (1984-1987) and Eligibility (1989-1998) commissions before becoming an IOC Honorary Member in 2004.
Abu Samah was a long-serving President – and later Honorary Life President – of the Olympic Council of Malaysia, and held numerous leadership posts at sports federations both within his native Malaysia and internationally. These included President of the Football Association of Malaysia (1976-1983), President of the Asian Football Confederation (1978-1994), Vice-President of FIFA (1982-1990), President of the Malaysian Cricket Association (1969-1990) and President of the Malaysia Taekwondo Association (1987-1999).
He became a barrister-at-law at Gray’s Inn, Great Britain, before embarking on distinguished legal and political career in Malaysia that included a period as Malaysia’s Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports. Abu Samah enjoyed playing golf, tennis and squash, and it was his passion for physical activity that led to his decades-long career serving sport within the Olympic Movement at home and abroad.
The IOC expresses its deepest sympathies to Tan Sri Hamzah Abu Samah’s family. —- IOC/Photo courtesy AFC
The Olympics Sports expresses its deepest sympathies to Tan Sri Hamzah Abu Samah’s family.
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