KUCHING: He was a long-distance athlete in the 1960s who stood tall among his peers and was known for his
gutsy performance in the one miler, three miler, 1,500m and 5,000m.
Grambeh Arip from Tanjung Bijat Rumah Lunchong in Sri Aman, who passed away in 1993, was a medallist at the Borneo Games in the 1960s.
He was the one-mile and three-mile champion at the Sarawak AAA Championships in 1960 and 1961, and the winner in the 5,000m in 1967 and 1968. He also took part in the 4x400m relay, representing Police.
A Lance Corporal with the Police Field Force, Grambeh was a dedicated runner.
At a time when marathon was not yet in fashion, he used to run alone from the brigade headquarters at 6th Mile to Padang Sentral. He also ran at the Race Course, Jubilee Ground in Padungan as part of his daily workout.
“Diminutive and unathletic but looks can be deceiving as this humble policeman stood tall among his peers on the track,” said former journalist Kenny Ee, who knew the runner well back in the days.
A gutsy long-distance runner, he grounded down his opponents with sheer grit. He was a one-pace runner – the longer the distance, the better he got.
“His pace would not slacken, always consistent as one by one, he picked off his opponents with each passing lap.
“He was a medal winner at the Borneo Games. He always responded with gutso to the shouts of ‘Common Grambeh’ from the grandstand as he raced to the finish line.
“He was undoubtedly a champion in his own right and unique way.”
Another of his old acquaintance said of Grambeh: “I noticed that he seldom drink and after he cooled down, he gulped a few mouthful of water from the tap at the Jubilee Ground.”
Meanwhile, his son Valentine said: “He was a quiet man dedicated to his sport and loved running.”
“In Sarawak, he was never defeated and he ran alone and had no coaches,” he added.
His daughter Jemai Mesa said Grambeh loved to watch boxing and football and used to bring her to boxing matches.
Jemai, who said that Grambeh stopped running in 1973 when he was 39 after injuring his knee, never quite encouraged his children to take up sports as he said it required a lot of sacrifice and hard work.
A forgotten running great, Grambeh is still remembered by many of the older generation as one of the giants of Sarawak athletics in the 1960s.
