On a sunny, crisp beautiful Thursday morning in early March people suddenly took to the streets of Cardiff, eager to pay their respects to a sporting legend, that most will never have heard of. And then they began to applaud. The man they were honouring was Chung Kum Weng, a man born in Malaysia who deserves recognition, and maybe finally got it, as a Welsh icon. The 90-year-old was a familiar and much-loved face in the Heath area of the capital for many years. Many knew him as a colourful and friendly character who could often be seen on his bike with his beloved dog Lucy. And it was that canine companion, in beautiful but heart-breaking scenes, that led him and the procession to her master's final resting place. Weng worked as a bus driver for many years, a profession that helped fund a rich and colourful sporting career that was arguably the key driver in his decision to settle in the Welsh capital. Born in Ipoh on May 15, 1934, Weng soon earned himself a reputation a talented weightlifter in the featherweight division, and made his Commonwealth Games debut representing Malaysia at the 1958 games, which just so happened to be in the Welsh capital. Weng won silver, lifting 306kg on the day. But while a seminal development in his weightlifting career, the impact of those games clearly struck a more personal chord. By all accounts, Weng fell in love with Wales, and eventually decided to make Cardiff his new home, finally deciding to make the move shortly after competing at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. He would continue to represent Malaysia again at the 1964 Olympics, but his love for Wales clearly ran deep. So much so, that many of his friends affectionately referred to him as 'Dai'. When he finally became eligible to represent his adopted home, he duly made his mark, picking up the greatest achievement of his career by winning gold at the 1966 Commonwealth Games, lifting 337kg. "I'm a Welshman at heart," he once told the media ahead of the 1974 Games in Christchurch. By this point, he had become the 'pin-up boy' of the Wales team. Manager Raymond Jones said at the time: "He represents to me everything that is great in sport. Always pleasant - always a great competitor". Those who knew 'Dai' on a personal level all say the same. Close friends Lisa, Alison and Jackie remembered: "He would ride his bike all the time through the area with his little black dog, and we later found out all these marvellous things about his life. "A lot of the neighbours didn't know what he actually did, so we've been WhatsApping around to make people aware of his achievements. But he was a humble person. No fuss. That's what he told people. No fuss. "Whenever I stopped to see him, he was always with somebody having a chat, and he was always smiling. That's how I'll remember him. Just a lovely, lovely man." In a message of condolence, British Weightlifting (BWL) said in a statement: "BWL extends its sincere condolences to the family of Chung Kum Weng, as well as to Weightlifting Wales, Commonwealth Games Wales, National Olympic Committee of Malaysia and the Malaysian Weightlifting Federation." Niece Sim Mayes, who now lives in Malvern in Worcestershire, came over to join her uncle in Wales with her grandmother and her sister, and remembers how his sporting obsession would so often spill over into family life. "I remember he used to train in the lounge," she said. "He'd have all his weightlifting weights around near the fireplace. They were everywhere. He was one of ten children and the first to come over the UK, and he was always interested in sports. "He liked Wales. So much so that he chose to make it his home, and I presume a lot of that's down to the friendliness of the people and the environment. Wales is a really nice place and he just loved it. His Dog too. He didn't ever like to leave her for too long." In a final and emotional nod to the country he fell in love with, Weng's coffin was draped in a large Wales flag as it made its way back to his home one last time. After friends, family, and indeed dog Lucy, who will now be taken in by a friend of Chung's, had been given the chance to say their final goodbyes, he was then sent off with a moment of applause from those gathered, so many of whom had clearly been touched by his contributions and presence in the local community.