Tributes paid to feared Singapore defender Rahmat Mawar who has died age 81 as cause of death revealed

Rahmat Mawar was a feared defender in Singapore in the 1960s and 70s.Rahmat Mawar was a feared defender in Singapore in the 1960s and 70s.
Rahmat Mawar was a feared defender in Singapore in the 1960s and 70s. | Shaari Harun
Tributes have been paid to a footballer who would make strikers “shy away” out of fear.

Former Singapore defender Rahmat Mawar died on Tuesday, October 29 at the age of 81. The defender passed away at the Woodlands Health Campus, according to local media reports.

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Representing his country internationally in the 1960s and 70s, he also won Singapore’s Sultan Gold Cup on two occasions in 1973 and 1975. Now, as his cause of death has been revealed, those who knew him have paid emotional tributes to a “gentleman” who defended not dissimilarly to the likes of Pepe and Nemanja Vidic.

Football journalist Jeffrey Low described him as a player “whose snarling teeth and handlebar moustache would strike the initial fear before his tackling floored any attacker.”

Rahmat Mawar was a feared defender in Singapore in the 1960s and 70s.Rahmat Mawar was a feared defender in Singapore in the 1960s and 70s.
Rahmat Mawar was a feared defender in Singapore in the 1960s and 70s. | Shaari Harun

Son-in-law Shaari Harun said: “He had a sharp mind and would regale us with stories from his playing days, not about his heroics but about his rebellious streaks such as how he used to annoy former national coach Choo Seng Quee with his antics in training. We have heard many stories of how he was very aggressive and fierce during his playing days.

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“But you should see how he was with his grandchildren, he was very affectionate with them and really doted on them. We will all miss him.”

Mawar’s family confirmed that the former footballer had been suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which causes breathing problems for those who have it. After retiring from football, Mawar worked as a senior chef in a hotel, later captaining the venue’s football team in the Singapore Business Houses Football League.

He then worked as a landscape supervisor and part-time gardener before retiring in 2009.

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Former teammate Ho Kwang Hock said: “He had a thick moustache and a very fierce look, so he was very intimidating as a defender. When players were going into a 50-50 challenge and saw him in front of them, they would usually shy away.

“You could tell he was a true leader for his team and like many players of his era, while they were fierce and no-nonsense on the pitch, he was a true gentleman off it. He was a very nice person, very caring and I got to know him better when we worked together at Imperial Hotel later on.

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