Like many in Malaysia and Singapore, it came as a shock when I heard of Serbegeth Singh’s sudden death on Jan 12.
I was in Malaysia at that time. I was hoping it was not accurate. I accepted it only when news of the former footballer turned football pundit’s death became official.
Shebby, as he is popularly known, was a friend. I had the privilege and honour of interviewing him as my first celebrity guest for my podcast, Back Pass With Ras (main image), in conjunction with the Sikh festival Vaisakhi last year.
Shebby usually spoke in English or Bahasa Melayu. But on my show, we communicated in our mother tongue, Punjabi.
He reminisced about his beloved English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, and I got to know him as a person as well.
From our candid conversation, one would know how much love and pride he had for his children, Sonuljit Singh and Natassha Kaur, even sharing the Hindi song Tum Ho Toh (from the movie Rock On) that he dedicated to them.
We kept in touch after the show over WhatsApp, and my last message to him was to find out his thoughts, as an ex-Kuala Lumpur player, about Kuala Lumpur FC’s Malaysia Cup victory over his state team, Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT).
Unfortunately, my only face-to-face meeting with him was at Gurdwara Sahib Yishun in Singapore somewhere in the late 2000s.
One person in Singapore that shared the dressing room with him was a former teammate in Kuala Lumpur, Malek Awab.
He knew of Shebby’s polarised opinions but described him as a good guy.
As a captain, Shebby was calm and focused in the dressing room, and the unity and bond in the Kuala Lumpur dressing room remain memorable for the Singapore legend, even today.
Malek felt Shebby was not as popular as a player compared to others who played in the more glamorous positions but described the Kluang-born as a commanding player, a leader and someone who played for the team.
Malek shared that when Shebby was based in Singapore while working for ESPN/STAR Sports and FOX Sports, he met his former teammates, including Fandi Ahmad.
Malek also said Shebby, who was a Twentytwo13 columnist, was the best English-speaking pundit in this region.
He felt Shebby was too young to go as he was only 61 and looked fit.
Shebby will be remembered as a football pundit by a particular generation.
So, I asked a fellow pundit, Antonio Codinach, about Shebby’s passing.
The Barcelona native said it was a loss for those who love football, especially fans from this region.
Codinach said he shared a studio with Shebby as pundits on STAR Sports for the La Liga Show in 2012.
Shebby was always eager to share tips with those new to the business. Shebby injected calmness even when things got heated in the studio.
Someone who knew him extensively is host and commentator Shehzad Haque.
They shared the Tottenham Hotspur connection, and Shehzad said it was brilliant when they worked together as they would usually moan about Tottenham’s performances.
Some may disagree with Shebby’s opinions, they respected his forthrightness and resoluteness.
Shebby was popular among the crew at FOX Sports. He would tell them about his experiences at Blackburn Rovers and JDT.
And he remembered Shebby was equally passionate about uplifting Malaysian football.
Shehzad is presently commentating on badminton tournaments. He is still reeling from Shebby’s passing.
He had just landed in India when news of Shebby’s passing appeared all over his social media feed and WhatsApp.
Shebby’s passing has deeply saddened Shehzad’s family as his wife also worked at FOX Sports and knew Shebby.
Rest in peace, Shebby and lots of strength to his family.