Ex-Singapore hockey player Farouk Marican Ali dies

Singapore, Feb 26 (PTI) Former Singapore hockey player-cum-manager Farouk Marican Ali, who is of Indian lineage, died on Thursday.

He was 80.

The country's sports community mourned his the death of Ali who "lived and breathed" hockey and cared deeply for his players.

Farouk leaves behind his wife 68-year-old wife Jacinta Arriola, and daughter Shaeen Marican, 42.

His family, however, did not reveal the cause of death, according to a report by The Straits Times.

Farouk, a hard-hitting penalty corner specialist, was a defender in the late 1960s and 70s and played for the national team from 1968 to 1971. He later managed Singapore men team squads from 1982 to 2000s.

Former journalist Hakikat Rai, who covered local sports for Straits Times in the 80s to 90s, said Farouk was always generous with the people he knew, and that he "cared deeply" for his players.

"Farouk was well versed in the game, having played at club and national level. He had a deep understanding of the sport and the latest training methods, constantly keeping in touch with the likes of German-born master hockey coach Horst Wein, a respected international expert in hockey and football," said Rai.

"Farouk, in a sense, was way ahead of his peers during that era in terms of the sport's administration – a time when local hockey was undergoing changes." Krishnan Vijayan Naidu, who was a key part of the national team in the 80s and 90s, recounted how Farouk would pay to get jerseys printed for them ahead of training trips, and how he would go out of his way to help those who were not well-off. PTI GS SSC SSC