[UPDATED] ‘Ironman’ Hanapiah dies

KUALA LUMPUR – “Ironman” Hanapiah Nasir is gone.

He breathed his last at 6.03pm today at Hospital Kuala Lumpur after he was admitted to the intensive care unit yesterday.

During his career, the 66-year-old athlete won four gold medals: long jump (1985), 110m hurdles (1985), and decathlon (1983 and 1981) at the SEA Games.

Hanapiah broke the SEA Games record in the long jump event with a jump of 7.59m and 110m hurdles. 

He also won silver in the 4x100m event with Rabuan Pit, Sivaling Govindasamy and Nordin Jadi.

Hanapiah was crowned 1985 Selangor’s Sportsman of The Year following his strong performance at the SEA Games.

He represented the country from 1979 to 1991.

Hanapiah clinched his first gold medal in the 110m hurdles at the Asean Athletics Championship, better known as Suharto Cup, back then in Kuala Lumpur.

After retirement, the “Ironman” continued to be active in the athletics arena and was the national head coach from 2005 to 2009.

Hanapiah was born on October 12, 1957 in Kg Ayer Barok, Jasin, Melaka.

Immediate family members told The Vibes that the former national coach’s condition deteriorated rapidly in the last 24 hours with bacterial infection, weak oxygen levels and organ failure.

“He had been induced into a coma since yesterday. My father’s health has declined recently even though he won the battle against leukaemia last year,” said his distraught daughter, Navia Natasya.

Other than Navia, Hanapiah is survived by wife Norafidah Talib, son Mohd Qazreen Qazreeq, and four grandchildren.

The remains of the legendary athlete will be brought to Masjid Jamek Kg Baru tonight and laid to rest at the Jalan Ampang cemetery at 8.30am tomorrow. – The Vibes, July 16, 2023