Langley leaves a legacy that will be hard to follow
Brian Langley was the consummate professional. Whether commentating on live television or penning an article for publication, Langley's love of sport and engaging humour always shone through.
Langley, 57, who died on Wednesday in Singapore after a heart attack, was the voice of Asian sport. For almost 20 years, he was at the cutting edge of sports broadcasting in the region, charting the fortunes of Asian sport in his various guises.
He prided himself on correctly pronouncing the names of sportsmen and women, often seeking out the individuals to hear the way they pronounced their names in their mother tongues. A flair with languages helped him deliver in style.
Langley won widespread praise and respect across Asia with his incisive commentaries on golf and football. His encyclopaedic knowledge of Asian golfers and footballers, coupled with his slick delivery, made him synonymous with commentaries on Asian PGA Tour and Asian Football Confederation events. He had the rare ability of being able to keep viewers and readers entertained and informed.
The executive director of the Asian PGA Tour, Ramlan Haron, said: 'I am truly saddened by the news of Brian's passing. He was one of the pioneers of the Asian PGA Tour and was the voice of Asian golf. His contribution towards the growth of our tour was immense, through his professionalism and candidness whenever he went on air and this will be something we will all miss.'
Langley could lend his hand - and voice - to any sport, from swimming to volleyball, archery to tennis, and motor racing to dragon boat racing. He made his name with TVB and when STAR TV launched in the early 1990s, Langley was the obvious candidate to front its sports programming.
His stand-up openings at golf's US Masters and British Open and the tennis Grand Slam events became compulsory viewings. With sidekick Vijay Amritraj, they were the perfect doubles combination.
When STAR TV moved its headquarters to Singapore in the late 1990s, Langley went freelance, but within a few years he also moved camp with wife Aymara, and sons Oscar, Jack and Marco. He continued to work for STAR, along with ESPN and regularly commentated on Singapore's S-League for terrestrial television.
An occasional contributor to the South China Morning Post, he also penned a column called Birdies & Bogeys for the Asian Golf Monthly. But it was with his club in hand that he enjoyed himself the most and only last month made his debut in the Singapore Seniors Championship, surprising by shooting in the 80s in the first two rounds.
As a master of ceremonies at a gala dinner or corporate event, Langley always held an audience. He was truly a master of his art.
