Sarawak bid farewell to ‘Strongman’ William Yeo

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The casket surrounded by members of William’s family before the funeral mass at St Joseph’s Cathedral yesterday. — Photo by Chimon Upon.

The casket surrounded by members of William’s family before the funeral mass at St Joseph’s Cathedral yesterday. — Photo by Chimon Upon.

KUCHING: The local sports fraternity bid their final goodbye to William Yeo who was laid to rest at the Catholic Memorial Park at13th Mile here yesterday.

The funeral mass service at the St Joseph’s Cathedral was attended by his family members, friends, a state minister and state sports officials.

Contrary to some media reports, the legendary sportsman was diagnosed with leukemia only earlier this year.

“He has been enjoying life years before his illness and death this year. We know that he is in a better place now,” his sister Theresa told The Borneo Post.

William was regularly attending mass at the St Joseph’s Cathedral or St Mark Church at Batu Kawa.

He passed away peacefully at 5am last Friday the age of 77.

Born in Balingian, Mukah, his family had moved to Seria, Brunei where the young William was educated and later worked with petroleum company Shell.

A lesser known fact to younger Sarawakians, William first made his name as a top high jumper. He and younger brother Boniface were keen rivals in the same event at the annual Borneo Games contested between Sarawak, then North Borneo and Brunei in the early 1960s. Not tall for a high jumper, William also excelled in throwing the Shot Put.

He later settled down and started his family in Kuching where he worked in the Prisons Department. He first won the Shot Put event at the Sarawak State Championship in 1966, smashing the state record with his best throw of 42 feet 2 inches. He still managed to throw a distance of 40’2” to win his eleventh and final state title in 1984 when he was over 40.

However, for three decades from the 1970s, the name William Yeo became synonymous with the sport of weightlifting in Sarawak.

He was the undisputed top weightlifter in the state and country. Representing Malaysia in numerous international championships, he also won the nation’s first gold medal in weightlifting at the SEAP Games.

William Yeo was named Sarawak’s Sportsman of the Year twice in 1972 and 1978.

Even during his active years as a top athlete, he was always generous with his time and effort in coaching and promoting athletics, bodybuilding and of course weightlifting. He continued to coach aspiring athletes including paralympians until early this year.

His son Edmund recalled that his father was a caring man and highly disciplined.

Edmund himself benefitted from his father’s coaching and mentoring to become a national weightlifter.

He is the current head coach for the Sarawak weighlifting team preparing for the upcoming 18th Sukma.

Meanwhile, Minister of Youth and Sports and Solidarity Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong, who attended the mass service, said William’s demise was a great loss for the state as the icon has contributed so much for Sarawak.

“My attendance today is on behalf of the Sarawak state government. The state government would like to offer our condolences to his family as the state has truly lost one of its great legends,” he added.

The minister’s statement was echoed by Sarawak State Sports Council director Dr Ong Kong Swee who was also present.

William is survived by his wife Rosalind and four children Michael, Daniel Yeo, Angelina and Edmund.