Ex-national rugby player 'Doc Malan' dies due to stroke

KUALA LUMPUR, 7 Mac -- Former national rugby player Dr Mazlan Ismail died due to a stroke at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre here early today.

His younger brother, Muhammad Naimmi Ismail, 31, when contacted by Bernama,  said  Dr Mazlan, 38, who was admitted to the medical centre last January,  breathed last at 12.58 am.

Dr Mazlan, who was also Deputy Dean of Student Affairs at the Faculty of Sports and Recreation Science at Universiti Teknologi Mara in Shah Alam leaves behind a wife, Azlina Mohd Ariff, 44.

Muhammad Naimmi said his brother’s remains would be taken to Taiping, Perak, for burial, scheduled after the  Asar prayer today.

"He was a very committed person and firm in his work. Although he had left the rugby world, he continued to be active in the sport by playing with and giving tip to members of the Cobra Malaysia rugby club," he said.

Dr Mazlan,  known as 'Doc Malan' among the country's rugby community, had represented Malaysia  Rugby Sevens at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England in 2002 and the Busan Asian Games in South Korea the same year.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Rugby Union in a statement expressed its condolences to Dr Mazlan’s  family and  regarded his death as a great loss to the country’s rugby and academic world.

“We pray for Allah SWT to bless his soul and place him with the pious,” it said.

-- BERNAMA