Tan Eng Yoon dies in car accident; my deepest condolences to his family

It is a very sad day for Singapore sports.

Former Olympian and national hurdler and jumper Tan Eng Yoon died this morning at 630am when he was hit by a car along Upper Thomson Road.

He was crossing the road on his way to church when the tragic accident occured. He was 82.

Here’s the report from Channel News Asia:

Former Singapore Olympian Tan Eng Yoon dies

(CHANNEL NEWS ASIA, 30 Jan 2010)

By Philip Goh

SINGAPORE : One of Singapore’s sporting stalwarts, Tan Eng Yoon, has died after a road accident on Saturday morning.

MediaCorp understands he was knocked down by a car while crossing Upper Thomson Road on his way to the Church of the Holy Spirit.

He was 82.

As an athlete, Tan represented Singapore at the highest levels, participating the in 100-metre sprint and triple jump at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

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.

Tan was the National Track and Field coach from 1958 to 1970, and was responsible for spotting and nurturing the careers of several outstanding athletes, most notably Singapore’s sprint king C Kunalan.

As a sports administrator, he oversaw the construction of the National Stadium in Kallang, and was Deputy Executive Director of the Singapore Sports Council until his retirement in 1988.

He was also the General Secretary of the Football Association of Singapore from 1993 to 1999.

Most recently, he was elected the President of the Singapore Olympians Association.

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Mr Tan leaves behind his wife, a son and a daughter. My deepest sympathies and condolences to his family.

For younger readers, who may not know who Mr Tan is and his place in Singapore sport, please click on this link, which will lead you to  a comprehensive write-up of the man as a top athlete, a beloved and well-respected coach and an able sports administrator.

Yours in sport

Singapore Sports Fan