Veteran pistol shooter Poh Lip Meng of Singapore died at the age of 52 on Wednesday evening.
Poh had won a bronze in the Men’s 25m Center Fire Pistol, gold in 25m Standard Pistol Pairs and bronze in 25m Center Fire Pistol Pairs at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.
The Singapore Shooting Association announced his passing in a Facebook post on Thursday. Poh had collapsed during a jog and was taken to Changi General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
“Lip Meng was a valuable member of the national pistol men’s team, helping Singapore achieve remarkable results in various competitions,” said the Association, which praised his “dedication and commitment” to the sport.
“A treasured member in the Shooting family, he will be greatly missed. We convey our deepest condolences to his family.”
Poh won silver and bronze medals in the 10m air pistol team event at the 27th and 28th SEA Games respectively, as well as the gold medal at the Southeast Asian Shooting Championship in 2016. He also clinched gold at the SEA Games in 2015.
Poh holds the current national records for both 10m air pistol men and 50m free pistol events.
Poh has a daughter Yu Ting, 14, and a son, Yu Hao, 20, who is also a pistol shooter. Father and son competed together at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast.
Poh joined the national team in 2002, and formed a strong team partnership with Gai Bin and Nigel Lim. The trio clinched a historic bronze in the Men’s 25m Standard pistol team event at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, becoming the first ever men’s pistol team from Singapore to win an Asiad medal.
He had already been selected to represent Singapore at next May’s SEA Games in Hanoi.
Singapore National Olympic Council president Tan Chuan-Jin paid tribute to Poh in a Facebook post, saying, “He was an exemplary athlete, and often greeted anyone he met with a friendly and warm disposition. We’ve lost a fine role model.”
