Sporting legend gets a final send-off

The Straits Times, 4 February - Terrence Voon

About 200 people turned up at the Church of the Holy Spirit to bid farewell to former national hurdler and Olympian Tan Eng Yoon yesterday.

It was not just VIPs and ministers who came to pay their respects when the wake for Singapore's late sporting icon Tan Eng Yoon was held earlier this week.

One former student drove from house to house behind Thomson Plaza searching for Tan's home, while a former athlete drove to every church in the Bishan area looking for the wake.

These touching stories were related by Tan's daughter Sabrina, 39, when the former Olympian was laid to rest yesterday.

"Dad was the embodiment of the Olympic spirit." she recounted in her eulogy to her father.

" He strongly believed that it wasn't about winning the gold medal, but rather having travelled the Olympic journey, and do it the right way."

Tan, 82, died after he was knocked down by a car last Saturday morning along Upper Thomson Road.

He had just attended the morning mass at the nearby Church of the Holy Spirit - the same place where his funeral service was held yesterday.

About 200 people turned up to bid a final farewell to him, including former athletes like sprinter C.Kunalan, hockey's Anwarul Haque, former national rugby coach Natahar Bava and Malaysia's sprint king M. Jegathesan.

After the hour-long service, Tan was cremated at the Mandai Crematorium.

Said Sabrina:"To us, as a family, we are not looking at how his life ended, but rather the journey that his life took.

"We see a life filled with family, friends, love for God, passion for sports and always reaching out to give a helping hand. We see him as a simple man who achieved extraordinary things. That is his legacy."

My late coach was an Olympian....

Former Singapore Olympian Tan Eng Yoon dies in road accident By Dylan Loh,
Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 30 January 2010 1550 hrs SINGAPORE :

Former Singapore sprinter Tan Eng Yoon died in a road accident on Saturday morning. He was 82. The President of the Singapore Olympians Association helped oversee the National Stadium's construction as a sports administrator. Mr Tan was General Secretary of the Football Association of Singapore in the 1990s. He represented the country at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics in the triple jump and 100-metre sprint. In 1959, he won Singapore's first medal, in the 400-metre hurdles, at the inaugural South-East Asian Peninsular Games, the pre-cursor to the present-day SEA Games. He also won the triple jump gold and his national record for this event stood for 32 years. As National Track and Field coach in the 1960s and 1970s, Mr Tan also nurtured athletes like sprint king C Kunalan.

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I remember this gentleman, it was back in 1993 or 94, can't remember the exact year. Back then, I was doing my diploma at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, once there was a track & field trial run conducted by Mr Tan himself on the campus stadium. I took part in a couple of runs, in 100M and probably 200M. Of course, I was not selected.... I am not a talented runner, lacking both strength and speed, was never a sprinter.

In the late evening after training, the small group will stay in a room with Mr Tan watching video tapes on running tactics, ways to improve and become a better runner, he will brief us after the show ends. I attended a few lessons both on the running track and in the TV room for the next couple of weeks until the lesson plan ended, I guess he didn't find the talent he was looking for in the polytechnic. He left a deep impression on me - a well-manner, sincere, kind and patience man. Even we were not selected, he had coached us for a short period.

I never met him again after I finished my diploma and was enlisted for national service, graduated and started working. It was only when he passed away in an accident, I learnt about his background. He was a humble man - an Olympian and a real champion.

Sports Hero - Mr Tan Eng Yoon

Started running a few years after finishing my National Service, signed up for the 10km run in 2003 (started medal collection). 7 years later, I'm still running, and intended to participate in a few races every year. Thank you Mr Tan, you are my first coach.

4 full marathon medals