Ding Seling

A nice gentleman from Long Tebangan, Ulu Baram, Ding Seling was in the same batch of 1958 together with Jacob Dungah, Johnny Ragi, Grawat Ulun, Jok Ajeng, Jok Anyi, Laing Jau, Lamban Sakalai, Ludan Kuleh, Mahmud Haid, Mohammad Sabil, Taha Besar, Weng Ibun, Musa Tuan just to mention a few.

Ding was a tough boy and played football well. Later on in life, when we had television (circa 1968), I would picture seeing Ding playing for one of the English football teams, wearing red shirt and knee socks! I had a lot of admiration for him. As I was small in size I did not really matter in the football field. But those huge Kenyahs and Kayans were really a force to reckon with.

It was a pity that by the skills we had then, we would never made it to the state squad. But to this day, I still believe that these boys had the makings of great footballers if given the right food, right training and right guidance. It was a pity too that at that time we did not have a sports school like Bukit Jalil spur the native students on.

Ding Seling if you remember went on to be Senator and a respected educationist.

He is truly a man who qualifies to wear many feathers.

(Feathers for those of you who do not understand Sarawak culture are worn by native leaders who evolved from the community and rose to positions of great respect..the more feathers they wore, the higher their position would be. So paramount chiefs would wear many many feathers.)