He gave everything to build champions — recognition never kept pace By Frankie D'Cruz

A father figure to his players, Joseph De Silva delivers a team talk, guiding and shaping young talents who would go on to represent Malaysia. (Philip Andrew pic)

Free Malaysia Today : Joseph De Silva created winners and national players, pouring his own time, money and life into a legacy few ever saw.

KLANG: At the launch of the National Junior Hockey League in 1995, a senior Malaysian Hockey Federation official publicly said some teams were making a mockery of the tournament by fielding 14-year-olds.

He was referring to the Old Lasallians Association of Klang (Olak). Olak manager Joseph De Silva heard the remark as criticism. He chose to see something else, proof he was doing something different, and ahead of its time.

Among those boys were Amin Rahim, Roslan Jamaluddin, Madzli Ikmar, Redzuan Ponirin and Saiful Azhar — names that would go on to shape Malaysian hockey.

Joseph De Silva built champions and national players, often with little recognition for the sacrifices he made. (Philip Andrew pic)

The boys finished mid-table that first season. They grew into national players and coaches, turning what looked like a risk into a clear and lasting vision. That dream fashioned De Silva’s life.

He died on Saturday at 71 after an illness that led to the amputation of his right leg, leaving a legacy built on personal sacrifice and belief in players others overlooked.

A club built on belief, not means

When Olak formed in 1995, it lacked the advantages that often mould success. There was no strong funding base, no formal pathway, no system to lean on. What it had was De Silva’s drive.

A property agent by profession, he followed his father, L Andrew De Silva, whom his brother Philip described as Klang’s first property agent. Hockey, however, became his life’s work. De Silva identified schoolboys with promise, many younger than their peers, and pushed them into higher competition early.

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