Tributes pour in for Tan Eng Liang as veteran sports administrator steps down as SNOC V-P

SINGAPORE - Ten days before he was set to depart for the 2008 Beijing Olympics as Singapore's chef de mission (CDM), Dr Tan Eng Liang suffered a slipped disc after a fall at home. Despite the excruciating pain, he soldiered on with a cocktail of painkillers and led a contingent that returned home with a silver medal, Singapore's first Olympic medal after a 48-year drought.

Laughing at the memory, the 83-year-old said: "A number of my contemporaries felt I was crazy to risk my life and go as CDM when I wasn't well. To me, that was secondary. My main purpose was to get the job done."

Flinty yet hands-on and humble, the veteran sport administrator leaves an indelible mark after stepping down as vice-president of the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) at its annual general meeting on Wednesday (Sept 23) following 28 years of sterling service.

Current and former national athletes and officials paid tribute to Dr Tan in a heartwarming video by the SNOC.

Former national paddler Wang Yuegu, who was part of the women's table tennis team that won silver in 2008, recounted his key role in the achievement.

She said: "If not for him, I'm not sure if I could have made it to the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. There was some tension within the team then and Dr Tan met us to mediate.

"After the meeting, he told me I needed to persevere and be more tolerant and patient. I felt he is a very wise old man. His warm smile put me at ease and I wasn't so afraid anymore. Because of how he handled the situation, I developed trust and love for Singapore."

His understanding of an athlete's mind stems from his background as a former national water polo player who represented Singapore in multiple major Games.

After his playing days were over, he entered politics where he served for close to a decade.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called it a privilege to have known Dr Tan for almost 50 years, and said: "Your commitment to make Singapore proud and your passion to give your best in all that you do will inspire younger generations to work hard at their dreams and never give up."

Sports remained his first love and he served as Singapore Sports Council - now known as Sport Singapore (SportSG) - chairman (1975-1991) and SNOC vice-president (1992-2020). He was also Singapore's CDM at a record 12 major Games, starting from the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.

Dr Tan counts it an "honour and privilege" to have played a part in SNOC's growth, and his fondest memories of his time there was when he was in the special training assistance committee, which works with SportSG to visit athletes while they were preparing for major Games, up until 2018.

"I love sports, so when I volunteer, it means contribution and work because it would be meaningless if you have just the position and you don't show up," he said.

Singapore Amateur Boxing Association president Syed Abdul Kadir recalled how he had argued with Dr Tan for more money to help the smaller national sports associations prepare for the 2015 SEA Games on home soil. Ultimately, 14 sports received a $300,000 boost from SNOC and contributed to the record 84 golds and 259 medals overall.

Fellow SNOC vice-president Jessie Phua called Dr Tan a "genius of a sporting leader" who was never in it for the limelight.

She said: "He comes into every meeting 100 per cent prepared. Very few can match him. His love and care and passion for sport are unparalleled."

Former SNOC president Teo Chee Hean added: "He always insisted on high standards and raising those standards. He helped push our athletes and teams to keep on achieving more. It is one of the reasons over the years, our athletes have done better at the major games."

Dr Tan shared that he had already made plans to step down two years ago and felt the timing was right, as he was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer earlier this year.

He plans to step down as Olympians Singapore president next year and see through his stint as chairman of the Singapore Taekwondo Federation interim committee until its World Taekwondo membership is reinstated.

On top of paying tribute to Dr Tan, SNOC president Tan Chuan Jin also joked: "Even if you tell him to retire, I don't think he will completely let go. He will still be kaypoh (Singlish for nosy). I'm sure I'll be getting calls from him."

While he is stepping back, Dr Tan's mind is still on the future of Singapore sport, as he bemoaned the lack of young sports leaders coming through who stay the course.

He said: "My standards are full commitment, dedication and doing the job for the love of the sport. The fact that some of these young people fade away shows they cannot make it or they have no real interest."

And the octogenarian had a parting message for the Government, urging it to recognise the contributions of Singapore's Olympians via gestures such as free access to public sports facilities.

He added: "I have been trying for the last four years, but I can't get through. I will keep advocating for this... I will be open to any lunch invite to talk about sports. I don't need any position, just coffee or tea will do."

- Represented Singapore in water polo at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne.

- Won SEAP Games water polo gold at Kuala Lumpur 1965 and Bangkok 1967 editions.

- Clinched an Asian Games silver at the Tokyo 1958 and Bangkok 1966 Asiads and bronze in Jakarta in 1962.

- Elected Member of Parliament for River Valley from 1972 to 1980. Appointed Senior Minister of State for National Development from 1975 to 1978, and Senior Minister of State for Finance from 1978 to 1979.

- He was Singapore's chef de mission at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, a role he performed another 11 times at various major Games, including the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His last was the 2015 Singapore SEA Games.

- Chairman of Singapore Sports Council from 1975 to 1991.

- Vice-president of Singapore National Olympic Council from 1992 to 2020.