KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian hockey has lost one of its most treasured figures with the passing of legendary coach and player C. Paramalingam at the age of 91 in Klang, Selangor.
The news was first confirmed by former national player and Olympian Maninderjit Singh, who shared the news on X.
Speaking to Scoop, Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC) president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal paid tribute to Paramalingam’s lifelong dedication to the sport.
“I personally knew coach Param and had followed his work closely. As a teenager, I would watch him coach both the Selangor team and the national team,” said Subahan when contacted.
“What I didn’t realise at the time was that I would come to know him much more personally after becoming President of Selangor Hockey. I witnessed first-hand the passion and patriotism he had for hockey and for our country — it was truly remarkable.
“He was a rare individual, and I feel he was never fully recognised for the immense contributions he made to Malaysia. He carried out his work without ever expecting anything in return.
“It saddens me, even a little disappoints me, that he did not receive the recognition he truly deserved for all his sacrifices and efforts in developing hockey and sports in this country.
“Even in his later years — at the age of 80 — he continued to train young players, always striving to strengthen the hockey scene in Selangor and beyond. People like him, with such deep passion and love for both the game and the nation, are incredibly rare. He was indeed a great man. We can only hope and pray that his soul rests in peace.”
Former national player and Kuala Lumpur Hockey Association (KLHA) president I. Vikneswaran also shared his memories of the legendary coach.
“Coach Param was my coach during the Junior World Cup qualifiers and the Junior World Cup itself, and he also coached me while I played for Bank Simpanan Nasional in the Malaysian Hockey League,” Vikneswaran said.
“He was a player in the 1950s and 1960s before moving fully into coaching. He led the national team at the 1984 Olympics and later served as Asian All-Star coach in 1987 and 1990. But perhaps even more important was the work he did in Klang.
“He was tireless and deeply dedicated, developing countless players through the Ampang Jaya programme, many of whom went on to succeed not only in hockey but in life.”
“Coach Param was more than a coach — he was a fatherly figure. A coach must be strict and firm on the field, but off it, he must genuinely care for his players — and he embodied that completely. I learned a great deal from him, and he was one of the people who built the fundamentals of my game.”
National hockey icon and triple Olympian Datuk Mirnawan Nawawi also remembered Paramalingam fondly.
“He was my chief coach during the 1992 Junior Asia Cup and Junior World Cup qualifier in Kuala Lumpur. I was the team captain, and under his guidance, we qualified for the 1993 World Cup, where we finished second.
“He was not just a coach to us — he was a father figure and a truly dedicated mentor. To me, he was also one of the best deflectors Malaysia has ever produced. He will be deeply missed.”
Maninderjit Singh echoed these sentiments, calling Paramalingam “more than a coach; he was a mentor and a friend who fundamentally changed our lives.
“He taught us not just how to play hockey, but how to lead, how to show up with confidence, and how to find strength we didn’t know we had.
“I’ll never forget how he inspired us to pursue the dream of becoming Olympians, sharing his own experiences playing at the international level. His legacy lives on in every player he shaped.
“We will deeply miss the sound of his whistle and his unique stopwatch training methods.”
During his playing career with the national team from 1956 to 1970, Paramalingam left an indelible mark, most memorably as one of Malaysia’s top scorers at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, netting nine goals.
He later served as a coach, guiding the national team to qualification for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and was honoured with the Best National Coach award in 1999.
News of Paramalingam’s passing has deeply saddened the Malaysian hockey community, who continue to cherish his immense contributions to the sport and the countless players whose lives he shaped both on and off the field. - December 12, 2025
The post Legendary Malaysian hockey figure C. Paramalingam dies at 91 appeared first on Scoop.