SINGAPORE – In recognition of his lifelong dedication towards enhancing the regional sporting scene, veteran sports administrator Tan Eng Liang, who died on Sunday, has been conferred the SEA Games Federation (SEAGF) Council Lifetime Achievement Award – the Order of the Golden Rings.

SEAGF chief operating officer Chaiyapak Siriwat made this announcement in a press statement on Monday, a day after Tan, a long-serving SEAGF council member and honorary life member, died at the age of 85 after battling cancer.

Chaiyapak paid tribute to Tan, saying: “His total commitment and in-depth experience, with highest integrity and always putting the athletes’ interest and well-being as of paramount importance, brought innovative changes and balanced advancement of the federation and the SEA Games.”

Commending his “long-time exemplary and distinguished service” and “great passion and unfailing dedication for decades”, Chaiyapak said the council on May 4 unanimously approved that Tan be bestowed the special award.

He added: “His devoted service will always be a source of inspiration to all of us in the SEAGF family and the future generation.”

Tan, who started his sporting career as a water polo player, racked up several achievements in the pool. These include winning a bronze and two silver medals at the Asian Games and two South-east Asian Peninsular Games golds.

He was also part of the Singapore team at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, which remains the only time the Republic fielded a water polo team on sport’s highest stage.

After retiring as a player, Tan continued to contribute to the local sporting fraternity.

He was chairman of the Singapore Sports Council, now Sport Singapore, from 1975 to 1991 and served as vice-president of the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) for 28 years.

He was also chef de mission for 12 major Games, including the 2008 Olympics in Beijing where the Republic ended a 48-year Olympic medal drought, with the women’s table tennis team claiming a silver.

Even after stepping down as SNOC vice-president, Tan’s commitment to Singapore sports remained undiminished.

In 2019, he led an interim management committee to restore order at the Singapore Taekwondo Federation (STF), after its membership with World Taekwondo was terminated. In recognition, he was conferred an honorary black belt by STF earlier in May.

In 2021, he and his family made one of the biggest donations by an individual in local sports by donating $500,000 to kick-start a fund to develop water polo here.