Pretoria- Suminthra Sewgolum, the wife of the late legendary golfer Papwa Sewgolum, passed away on Tuesday at her home.
She was 94.
Her late husband was 31 when he won the Dutch Open for the first time, an already advanced age to be winning for the first time.
In probably one of the most well-known moments of his career, Papwa beat SA’s greatest-ever golfer Gary Player in the Natal Open in 1965.
His success embarrassed the apartheid government which saw him later banned from playing golf or even entering a course as a spectator. He died in poverty at the age of 49 in 1978.
“His untimely passing was certainly induced by the enforcers of apartheid laws who didn’t want a non-white man to thrive and prosper in a sport considered by them, to be for ‘Europeans’ only,’’ said Jehad Kasu, spokesperson of the Papwa Foundation.
Kasu said the injustices which were cast unto Papwa, were also injustices against Suminthra.
“Her first death was her loss of Papwa. She lost the love of her life, and a life that should have been. She spent the rest of her life unmarried, more than 40 years without her soul mate, who was callously pushed over the edge of no return.”
Kasu added that Suminthra will be remembered for her kind, caring, and loving ways.
“And find solace in her reunification with her beloved Papwa.”
IOL