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Kota Kinabalu: Sim Poh Lim (inset), the last known surviving member of the North Borneo badminton team has passed away due to old age at Queen Elizabeth Hospital I on Monday evening.

The 88-year-old, who was born in Tawau, had gained a legendary status among the badminton fraternity here with his dedication to the sport for more than five decades.

Sim, who once trained under then world number one Wong Peng Soon, had represented North Borneo in many international events including the Inter-Territorial Championships and All Asian Badminton Championship since 1959.

He was most known for his coaching prowess in the singles where he had produced countless State champions since the sixties.

He used to search for raw talents in the remote districts and assisted most of them financially as well as providing accommodation during their school days here in the State capital.

Among them was Koh Beng Teck from Sandakan who was later drafted into the Thomas Cup squad in the early seventies, and he once revealed that there was also another of his trainees that went on to represent Hong Kong around the same time.