Dattaya passed away at his daughter’s home in Melbourne, Australia, at 6am Malaysia time. He leaves behind a wife and two daughters.

According to a family member, Dattaya, who hailed from Taiping, died after a brief illness.

Besides winning the gold medal in the hammer throw event at the SEA Games in 1971, 1973 and 1979, the former civil servant also shone in discus where he won several silver medals at international meets.

The burly athlete, whose hammer throws were described as done with brute strength, was much feared by his rivals.

Former national javelin champion Nashatar Singh, who was also the national coach in the 1970s, described Dattaya as an all-rounder in sports.

“Both of us played rugby for Perak in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was also his passion. On top of that, he also represented Perak in football.

“His last feat for the nation was winning the gold medal in the hammer throw event in 1979 in Jakarta, when I was the coach.

“He was a determined athlete and never feared his rivals. I am sad to lose a fellow athlete and a friend,” Nashatar told FMT.

Nashatar said fellow athletes remembered Dattaya as a live wire at training camps and during trips abroad for competitions, adding that he always had a smile for everyone.

He said Dattaya was among the many forgotten heroes who had brought glory to the nation through sports.

Former hurdler R Selvarani Ishtiaq meanwhile said Dattaya had been a father figure to younger athletes at training camps and during competitions, always greeting everyone with a smile.

“For many of us, he was the person you wanted to be with during mealtimes or breaks. He used to spread so much positive energy and we needed that during the meets.

“His guidance on how to handle the pressure of being an international athlete helped us a lot,” she told FMT.

Dattaya was also a freelance journalist with The Star and the New Straits Times in the 1980s.