Yan Kit Pool Heritage Gallery and Mural to commemorate the old swimming complex’s legacy

SINGAPORE – Former national swimmer Oon Jin Teik’s sporting career has taken him to the biggest stages such as the Olympics, but it was a modest complex along Yan Kit Road where he built his confidence as a young athlete.

A large part of his childhood was spent learning to swim at the Yan Kit Swimming Complex in Tanjong Pagar, progressing through the facility’s three pools under the guidance of the late Neo Chwee Kok, Singapore’s first Olympic swimmer.

He recalled the trepidation he felt before going into the medium-size pool for the first time – standing among other swimmers along the side of the pool before they were thrown in by Neo.

Entering the deep pool, which had a three-metre depth, required overcoming anxiety too as he remembered how Neo made swimmers walk to the diving end and jump off the platform, which was about five metres high. But those incidents contributed towards Oon’s development as a swimmer.

“I felt my confidence building, which was very important for me,” said the 61-year-old, who competed at the 1984 Los Angeles Games and won medals at the South-east Asian and Asian levels.

“He (Neo) believed a lot in confidence and that built, in many ways, my approach to this sport.” 

Oon, who was chief executive officer of the former Singapore Sports Council (now known as Sport Singapore) and Singapore Sports Hub, shared his memories at the official launch of Yan Kit Pool Heritage Gallery and Mural on Jan 18.

The event was officiated by Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development.

The Yan Kit Pool Heritage Gallery and Mural, designed by local artist Nur Aida Sa’ad, aims to commemorate the legacy of the complex, preserving its memory and significance for Singapore’s sporting heritage.

Opened in 1952, the Yan Kit Swimming Complex was Singapore’s second public swimming facility and the largest of its time.

Named after Look Yan Kit, a dentist and philanthropist who contributed significantly to Singapore’s community, the complex was a popular recreational spot for residents. In 2001, due to dwindling usage and high maintenance costs, the complex closed before being redeveloped as a community sports facility.

Ms Indranee said: “Over the last 60 years, we’ve developed so fast, which is great, and we’re always looking forward but sometimes you also have to go back... to see some of the things we’ve left behind, try to see how we can capture the memories and bring them to life so that they can give us new inspiration for the future.”

Being back at the Yan Kit pool brought back fond memories for former national water polo player Lim Teck Yin and 1972 Munich Olympics swimmer Tay Chin Joo.

Lim, who was SportSG CEO from 2011 to 2023, recalled how even though some of the facility’s infrastructure was makeshift, users like him made do with what they had.

For example, a green canvas covered the water polo goalposts, which had no proper nets.

But what was most compelling to the 62-year-old about the place was the camaraderie he shared with others.

“Life revolved around the pool and water polo, the friendships endured because that was life,” said Lim, a six-time SEA Games gold medallist.

“Coming back here gave me the opportunity to see all of them (members of the aquatics community) again, that is the real reason you know that the place is meaningful and special.”

While it has been close to six decades since Tay last visited the facility, she vividly remembers training there with her three siblings Winston, Nora and Molly.

The quartet went on to become gold medallists in various aquatic disciplines at the South-east Asian Peninsular (SEAP) Games, now known as the SEA Games.

Tay, the 1973 Sportswoman of the Year, still holds the record for being Singapore’s youngest SEAP Games gold medallist when she achieved the feat as part of the 4x100m freestyle relay team at the age of 10 in 1965.

The 69-year-old said: “It was a commendable initiative to document the history of the Yan Kit pool and the community who have benefited from and enjoyed the facility because a place is not just defined by whatever facilities are there, but also its people.”

Lim stressed the importance of preserving Singapore’s sporting history, adding: “It’s great that we’re starting to give attention to sporting heritage, not just in the books but also the physical artefacts and infrastructure...

“The same needs to be done with schools, that’s where the appreciation of the heritage starts, that’s where the stories are told, that is really where the relationships are forged.”