This work is originally published by Cahya Mata Sarawak. DayakDaily is given the permission to share this story within our platforms.
By Martin Yee, Kenny Ee, and Marlynda Meraw
ALBERT Blassan, born in 1947, was in a class of his own in the pole vault event in Malaysia. To this day, no local athlete has matched his record of remaining undefeated in the event for 14 years (1966 – 1979) in Malaysia, and for three years in the Borneo Games.
He represented Malaysia at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Bangkok in 1967 and in Singapore in 1969. Albert took over the mantle from Sarawak pole vault champion Joseph Chua in 1966 when he won his first Sarawak Open Championship title, breaking a 10-year-old record of 11 feet 8 inches with a new height of 12 feet 2 inches. From then on, Albert dominated the event in the country for an impressive stretch.
However, at the Southeast Asian Peninsular (SEAP) Games, the forerunner of the current SEA Games, Albert missed out on medal contention, with his best result being a fourth-place finish. He acknowledged that the Burmese, Singaporean, and Thai vaulters were fierce contenders in a class of their own during that era.
In school, Albert was an all-rounder, excelling in events like the 100m, 110m hurdles, and high jump. One day in 1965, while training at the Jubilee Ground, he was spotted by visiting American coach Bill Miller. The coach recognised his pole-vaulting potential and encouraged him to take the event more seriously. Albert, just 16 at the time, followed this advice, eventually becoming a dominant force in the Malaysian pole-vaulting scene for years.
“Bill Miller turned me into a pole vaulter, and I also owe special thanks to local coach Joseph Lee Gut Hing, who helped me with my run-up, take-off, and clearance,” Albert once said.
Despite his achievements, Albert always sought to support other athletes. He coached fellow vaulters Henry Chua and Alan Ding, helping them improve their clearance heights to 12 feet — a significant jump from the standard 10 feet 5 inches at the time. Henry Chua later represented Sarawak at national competitions.
Albert’s prowess extended beyond athletics. He was passionate about bodybuilding, which helped him build the upper body strength crucial for the technical demands of pole vaulting. While still a student, he represented Sarawak at the 1966 Malaysian Games, winning the gold medal with a close victory by clearing 12 feet 4 inches.
“I suppose I had the talent and commitment, and bodybuilding strengthened my upper body, which helped in this very technical event,” he remarked.
One of Albert’s few regrets was that his accomplishments often went unrecognised, save for his employer, the Prisons Department, which supported his training and recommended him for honours. He was awarded the Order of the Defender of the Realm (PPN) by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 1998 and the Member of the Order of the Star of Sarawak (ABS) by the Governor of Sarawak in 2001.
Albert also lamented never finding the time to pursue formal coaching certification. He wished he had attended coaching courses but was never able to make time for them.
After retiring from the Prisons Department in 2003, Albert took up a position as chief security officer at Taiyo Yuden, where he worked for eight years. He passed away in August 2021 at the age of 74 and is survived by five children and 14 grandchildren. –DayakDaily
