Singapore veteran sports official Annabel Pennefather has been appointed president of the International Hockey Federation's (FIH) judicial commission, taking up her third position in a world sport body in the space of two months.

The FIH's executive board made its decision last Thursday, after Pennefather's predecessor, Don Davies, announced his intention to step down.

The judicial commission is a group of neutral legal advisers who acts as a mediator in legal matters.

"I consider it an honour to be the first Singaporean and also the first female to be appointed to this position," said the 68-year-old Pennefather, who was previously one of two deputy presidents on the commission.

"From my past experience, I know that the workload will be manageable within the scope of my other sport and legal roles."

The lawyer is also serving on the International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) disciplinary tribunal, after being appointed in June. Last month, the Badminton World Federation also named her in its external judicial expert group.

She said with a laugh: "All of a sudden, I seem to be getting this flood of interest. It's probably due to my high-profile role in the IAAF, so when the other international bodies were looking for people to fill similar positions, my name cropped up."

The former national hockey player has a long-standing connection with the sport, having served as the Singapore Hockey Federation (SHF) president.

Said SHF president Mathavan Devadas: "It is a great honour for Singapore to have an official appointed to such a senior position in the world body.

"Annabel is eminently qualified to hold the position, and I'm sure she will discharge her responsibilities well."