Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) secretary-general Nazifuddin Najib, when contacted by Bernama, said she died at her residence in Mantin, Negeri Sembilan.

“We are still waiting to hear from her family members on the cause of her death. What we know is that the passing of Tok Puan Zainon is a big loss to the nation’s sports industry.

“She had contributed so much, especially to the sport of hockey. She had carried out various development programmes as well as elevated women’s participation in hockey,” he said.

Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) deputy president S Shamala also described Zainon’s passing as a huge loss as she had played a big role in developing women’s hockey in the country.

Meanwhile, former prime minister Najib Razak described Zainon, who was his aunt, as a caring person.

“After my father died, she would always spend time with my mother and the rest of us. She was a very loving and loyal person,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

Zainon, who was the wife of former politician, the late Hamzah Abu Samah, had served as MWHA president from 1973-1986.

During her time at MWHA, she introduced the national championships for the Tengku Budriah Trophy and Malaysia hosted the Third Women’s Hockey World Cup in 1983.

The national women’s team also made history when they bagged bronze at the Ninth Asian Games in New Delhi, India, in 1982 when the MWHA was still under her leadership.

In 2019, she was named the recipient of the OCM Women and Sports Award for her services and contributions to the development of sports in the country.