| Malaysia | 13 Aug 2017 | Asia Samachar |
A passion for sports and his vast experience in sports medicine has seen Dr Surendar Singh Cheema once again playing a key role in a major sporting event.
This time, he will be chairing the medicine and doping team for the Southeast Asia games that begins next week.
As the chairman of the SEA Games Federation (SEAGF) Medical Committee, he will be marshalling close to 2,000 officials to oversee all the medical services and doping checks for the regional games.
“It’s my passion. It began with hockey,” S S Cheema, as he is popularly known, told Asia Samachar.
The seasoned hand in managing medical sports and an active Sikh volunteer was the first secretary general for the Malaysian Hockey Confederation – the result of the amalgamation of both the men and women federations for the country.
Cheema’s involvement in the sports goes back to 1991 when he was first elected vice president of the Malaysian Singapore Sikh Sports Council (MSSSC) and vice president of the Malaysian Hockey Federation in 2002.
On the Sikh NGO front, he is the current chairman of the Malaysian Sikh Education Aid Fund (MSEAF) and the patron of MSSSC.
On the medical side, among others, he was the Medical Commissioner of the Commonwealth Games 1998 and doping control officer in charge for the World Cup Hockey 2002, both in Kuala Lumpur.
Asked why he is the right person for the job at the SEA Games, the 62-year old said: “It’s my experience as a player and a medical doctor. I’ve done sports medicine.”
In an interview with Bernama, he said: “Daily doping samplings will be sent to New Delhi. Fast-track results will be out within 48-hours upon New Delhi receiving them.”
The SEA Games 2017 will be held from Aug 19-31.
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