KUCHING: Brazilian football legend and three-time World Cup winner (1958, 1962, 1970), Edson Arantes do Nascimento, or widely known as Pele, passed away on Thursday at the age of 82, due to multiple organ failure, after a long battle with colon cancer.
Besides being labelled as “the greatest” by FIFA, he was also named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), voted as World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) and was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century along with the late Diego Maradona.
His 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which included friendly matches, were also recognised by Guinness as a World Record.
He began his playing career at the age of 15 for Santos in Brazil and represented his country at a young age at 16.
Besides winning three FIFA World Cups, still the only player to do so, he was also Santos’ all-time top goalscorer with 643 goals scored in 659 games at club level.
During the golden era of Santos, he led the club to the 1962 and 1963 Copa Libertadores, and to the 1962 and 1963 Intercontinental Cup, over Benfica and AC Milan, who were the European Cup/UEFA Champions League holders at that time respectively.
But beyond his achievement, he will be remembered for his revolution to the sport, with the famous number 10 always on the back of his jersey.
Tributes have been pouring in all over the world as soon as news of his passing came in, including those in Sarawak.
New Sarawak Tribune and its sister paper Suara Sarawak talked to a few of the local figures of the world’s number one sport today to ask them for their reactions to the death of the Brazilian, who is regarded one of the greatest of all time to ever play the game.
Awang Mahyan Awang Mohamed, former state coach
“I am shocked when I heard the news of the legend’s passing and I believe fans all over the world are also sad. He is not only a greatness for his country but also a symbol of football for his homeland. He was, and still is, a role model, on and off the field, for all of the players across the globe.
B. Sathianathan, former Sarawak United head coach
“Pele was THE player who successfully sparked a new wave in world football back in the days. His talent and success that he achieved in his glory days once stole the attention of the fans around the world. The impact he has left for the world of football can still be felt until today.
Ahmad Fairuz Yunus, former Sarawak player
“The world of football has lost a legend that cannot be compared to. The skill and quality that he possessed were out of this world. He is an idol and should be a guide for all the youth who have an ambition to become a professional football player.
Joseph Kalang Tie, Kuching City FC player
“The passing of the legend is a great loss for the sport, not only for his country Brazil but the entire world. I am lucky and grateful to be one of the individuals to have the opportunity to meet him during his visit to Kuala Lumpur in 2015. The photo that I took with him will forever be kept as a memory for me.
S. Balachandran, Sarawak United head coach
“To me, he is the greatest footballer of all time. He was admired throughout the globe for his goalscoring and dribbling ability. He was a genius and a superb team player. His individual skills, technical ability, passing range became a fundamental training in youth development until this day. Condolences to his family and fans of Brazil. Rest in peace, King.
