Ex-Sabah goalie passes away

Kota Kinabalu: Former Sabah goalkeeping great John Pias passed away at the age of 68 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital here on Tuesday morning.

According to his second son Syukri, his father had been suffering from diabetes for a long time and was admitted to the Tuaran Hospital on Monday afternoon before being transferred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital here later that same day.

“My late father had been suffering from diabetes for a number of years and only recently he was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer by doctors as well.

“We had earlier sent him to Tuaran district hospital yesterday afternoon before the medical staff there decided to transfer him to Kota Kinabalu late in the evening.

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“However, he passed away this morning at around 10am, and only my mother and one of my brothers were present at that time,” he said later on Tuesday.

John who hailed from Kota Belud was among one of the best goalkeepers the State had ever produced during the sixties and early seventies.

He was a regular for the State team since his junior years together with Hj Mohd Hanafiah Han @ Han Suan Kuang in goal before the arrival of the late Peter Rajah who was based in Tawau then.

His former teammate Datuk James Wong, who is President of the Ex State Footballers Association was in a state of shock when learned of his passing on Tuesday.

“The news came as complete shock to me. I really feel sad because we had just twice paid him a visit recently with other members of the association. Once at his house in Tuaran and later at the hospital a few weeks ago. He was alert then and we had a good chat.

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“John was a great player, a good friend and he had contributed enormously to the State team and on behalf of the Ex State Association, I would like to extend our deepest condolence to his family,” he said.

John who used to work for the State Public Service Department and had four sons and two daughters was laid to rest in Papar on Tuesday afternoon.

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