The SNOC said it had been "deeply saddened" by the death of Lee who served as both the President of the Singapore Taekwondo Federation and Chinese Swimming Club.

Lee had also been a director at the Singapore Olympic Foundation, led the Singapore Tennis Association and was part of the leadership at the Singapore Table Tennis Association.

Singapore’s Rio 2016 Olympic swimming champion Joseph Schooling was among those to pay tribute to Lee.

"Great loss to our sporting community," said Schooling.

"A very good and kind person.

"You will be missed dearly, Uncle Edwin. RIP. Deepest condolences to his family."

International Olympic Committee vice-president Ng Ser Miang, a member of the SNOC, described Lee as "a dear friend who is like a brother" and who was "true, kind, loyal, generous and selfless, principled, firm and tough".

Ng said Lee contributed a lot to sport and society but preferred to stay out of the limelight.

"I want to remember Edwin for his laughter, his love of life, his trust in fellow human beings," said Ng.

"I want to count my blessings for knowing him, for working together to restructure the Automobile Association of Singapore in 1990s, for supporting our women’s table tennis to win an Olympic silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and building the first public golf course for the enjoyment of tens of thousands of people."

SNOC President Tan Chuan-jin hailed Lee as "an invaluable part of our team."

"Not only was he our treasurer, he was also our trusted resource person to help sort out awkward and difficult issues," said Tan.

"He was involved with sports for quite some time and contributed richly.

"While he was no-nonsense and straight-talking, Edwin had a great sense of humour and definitely a heart of gold.

"He was kind and generous with those around him and cared deeply for our athletes and for sports in Singapore.

"We will miss him dearly."