According to his wife, Tong Yee Cheng, 85, he had complained about sharp stomach pains just before they were due to leave on a trip to Penang from their home in Chemor, Perak.

“Boon Bee was very happy this morning. We had breakfast and before we could leave, he clutched his stomach saying there was a sharp pain,” she told FMT.

Ng was then rushed to a private hospital but was later brought to the Ipoh Hospital after a shortage of beds. He was pronounced dead at 4pm. Doctors told the family that he died from an aneurysm.

He is survived by his wife, and a daughter, Gillian, 51. His son Thomas, 54, died last year. Ng was the third among five siblings.

Hailing from Ipoh, he was inducted into the Badminton Hall of Fame in 1998. He studied at the St Michael’s Institution and once represented the country as a footballer in the Merdeka Cup from 1958 to 1961.

His first foray into badminton was after he was crowned Perak’s Schoolboy champion in 1955 after winning the singles and doubles titles in badminton.

Ng heralded a golden era of badminton in the ’60s and ’70s, shining in the men’s and mixed double categories between 1960 and 1973. He had won 17 gold medals in major sports tournaments.

In the 1960s, Ng and Tan Yee Khan were one of the most successful men’s doubles teams, winning the All England, Asian Games, Asian Championships and the Commonwealth Games.

Ng was best known for his agility and he was not only quick and powerful but was able to anticipate the shots.

A three-day wake will be held at his residence from tomorrow at 61A, Jalan Sri Klebang 2, Chemor. The funeral will be held at the Nirvana Memorial Park on Sunday.