FMT
KUALA LUMPUR: V Subramaniam was once a decorated athlete but
now, at 71, his body is giving out on him.
Fondly known as Subra, he won eight SEA Games gold medals in the
10km and 20km race walk events between 1977 and 1989 and was crowned Malaysian
Sportsman of the Year.
He also trained notable race walkers who snared gold medals
themselves at the same level from 1993 to 2015.
Now, though, it’s a struggle just to stay on his feet.
He suffers from stiffness, numbness and pain in both legs which
makes it difficult for him to continue his passion for coaching junior race
walkers, or to even earn a living.
At the moment, he is surviving on a pension of RM320 from
Telekom Malaysia which he supplements by running a Western food stall at the
Kampung Baru Ampang food court here.
He also trains junior walkers under the Federal Territory
Schools Sports Council athletics development programme but now, his future
there is uncertain.
A widower, he does not want to bother his four children as he
desires to be independent.
But life is hard for the former athletics icon.
Four months ago, he asked for financial aid from Yayasan
Kebajikan Atlet Kebangsaan to undergo an MRI scan for his legs.
His request was rejected, so he now relies on traditional
therapy and acupuncture.
“I wonder if all the sacrifices I made were worthwhile,” he
said.
“I don’t go around asking for handouts. I work hard to make ends
meet, but considering my age, it is getting harder to survive.”
Subramaniam used to work as a walks coach with the National
Sports Council. He did so for 11 years but three years ago, he lost his job.
It was at that point that the Malaysian Athletics Federation
removed many old and experienced coaches in its revamp of the coaching set-up
ahead of the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.
But while he is down on his luck now, Subramaniam had many
moments of glory throughout his 14-year athletics career, which took off with
wins in championships such as state meets and the Malay Mail Big Walk.
His first international outing came in 1977, at the SEA Games in
Kuala Lumpur. There, he won gold in the 10km event and silver in the 20km
event.
He qualified for the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games but had to give
it a miss as Malaysia was supporting a global boycott in solidarity against the
Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.
At the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games, he won the silver medal in the
20km walk and at the 1982 Games, he finished fourth.
He won two bronze medals from the Asian Track and Field
championships in 1979 and 1981 and competed in the 1978 Edmonton Commonwealth
Games where he finished 12th.
He was named National Sportsman of the Year in 1978 and Coach of
the Year in 1996. He was also named Selangor Sportsman of the Year in 1978 and
1979.
Despite his many achievements, his happiest sporting moments were
not during his own victories but in those of his athletes.
He recalled when one of them, Annatasia Karen Raj, qualified for
the 1996 Olympics.
“After having missed the Moscow Olympics, just being in Atlanta
was pure joy,” he said.
But despite having trained Annatasia to qualify for the
Olympics, he was not named as her coach.
He went to Atlanta on his own, with assistance from the National
Sports Council, Federal Territory Kuala Lumpur Athletics Association, and
well-wishers who helped with his air ticket.
“I stayed at a friend’s house and continued to train Annatasia
before the race,” he said.
“On race day, I was not allowed into the finishing area, but I
barged in when she achieved a creditable finish.”
At 21, Annatasia became the first Malaysian woman walker to
qualify for the Olympics. She finished 24th out of 46 competitors with a
national record of 45:47.00 over 10km.
Other walkers whom Subramaniam nurtured include SEA Games gold
medallists P Ravindran, R Morgan, Mohd Shahrulhaizy Abdul Rahman, Narinder
Singh and Lo Choon Sieng, and 2015 SEA Games bronze medallist Khairul Harith
Harun.
He said the saddest moment in his career was losing the gold to
India’s Hakam Singh in the 20km race walk event at the 1978 Asiad in Bangkok.
He said Hakam ran past him close to the finishing line with both
his knees bent, which is against the straightened leg rule.
The straight leg is an integral part of race walking and anyone
who walks with a bent knee is considered to be running.
He protested, but the officials did nothing.
Neither did his team.
Until today, he keeps a photograph of Hakam running to the
finish line.
“I was robbed of the gold medal,” he said.
But while Subramaniam is in a tough spot now, he still beams
with joy when he talks about race walking.
“I have the satisfaction of having given my life to sports and
making a mark as an athlete and coach,” he said.
BLOG
VERSION
Tony
Mariadass
Subra’s walk of life
The
toll walking almost all his life has finally set in with former national walker
V. Subramaniam, whose legs are almost giving up on him.
The 71-year-old widower, is now facing stiffness, numbness and pain on both his
legs which is hampering him from continuing his love for walk and coaching.
Subramaniam’s
feat as an athlete and coach which is hard to match having won eight Sea Games
gold medals (1977 Sea Games to 1989) and coached athletes to win nine gold
medals (1993 – 2015 Sea Games), had made many sacrifices and undergone constant
hardship, but has been a dedicate athlete.
Subra
as he was more popularly known, is currently running a Western Food stall at
the Kampong Baru Ampang Food Centre and coaches budding youngsters under the
Federal Territory Schools Sports Council (FTSSC) athletics development
programme to earn some income.
He
earns RM320 pension for his eleven years’ service with Telekoms although he
worked there for 30 years, as they were privatised after that.
“Although
I am widower (wife Krishnaveny passed away five years ago) and children (Rajinikanth,
Sundhar, Uma Sunthary and Shanti) are all married, I have eight grandchildren and
want to be independent to be able to buy a few things for them and also for my
daily expenditure,” said Subra who lost his eldest son Saravanan in a
motorcycle accident 28 years ago when he was 21 years-old.
“My
whole life has been a struggle but for the love of sports I had carried on
despite many adversities,” said Subra who had won his first walking race in
1969 in a 10km race and went on to finish second in two others.
Three
years ago, Subra he lost his job as national walks coach of eleven years with
the National Sports Council .
The
Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) took a bold move to remove old and
experienced coaches in their revamp of the coaching set up in preparation for
the 2017 Kuala Lumpur Sea Games.
Subra
saw his 14 years walking career take off with wins in almost all walking
tournaments like the Malay Mail Big Walk, State meets and a walking circuit
organised by a private company, Wings, before
competing in his first international competition – in the 1977 Sea Games in
Kuala Lumpur where he won the 10km gold medal and 20km silver medal.
He
qualified for the 1980 Moscow Olympics Games, but had to skip it because of the
boycott by Malaysia.
He
has competed in the 1978 Edmonton Commonwealth Games where he finished 12th,
1978 Bangkok Asian Games where he settled for the silver medal in the 20km walk
and 1982 Games finishing fourth and two bronze medals from the Asian Track and
Field in 1979 and 1981.
He was named Selangor Sportsman for two
consecutive years – 1978 and 1979 – named the National Sportsman of the Year in
1978 and Coach of the Year in 1996.
“As
a sportsman, I think I have achieved many who could only dream of. I am proud
of my achievement and what I have done for my nation.
“But
sometimes, I wonder if all the sacrifices were worthwhile because every time I
had problem, I was neglected and had to virtually beg for assistance and fan
for myself.”
Subra
related his latest dilemma, when he suffered problems with his legs four months
ago and had to for a magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) scan
which could cost him about RM1,200.
“My
son-in-law (R. Murugan – Selangor sprints coach) called Yayasan Kebajikan Atlet Kebangsaan (YAKEB) to ask for
assistance and they flatly said they have no money,” disclosed Subra.
His
condition has improved slightly having gone for acupuncture and now traditional
therapy.
“The
second incident was when I was told by a coach that YAKEB was giving out RM500
as assistance during Covid 19 and whether I had received it. Since I had not, I
called YAKEB president (Noorul Ariffin Abdul
Majeed) and when inquired, he told me that it was only paid out to the needy
and he thought I was well off.
“I told him I have been struggling to make ends meet and
asked me to fill up a form and two days later I was paid the RM500.
“I don’t go around asking for handouts and work hard to make
end meet. But sometimes it gets difficult especially considering my age and my
ailing condition and some form of assistance will surely be welcomed.”
Asked what was his saddest moment in his life, he said: “I
had two saddest moments. The
first was when my son passed away because having to do the rites for his own
son is the hardest. No father should experience that moment,” said Subra with
tears welling in his eyes.
“But
life had to go on and I had four other children I had to look after and my
wife’s health was also deteriorating then.
“The second was on the field of competition
when in the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games, when India’s Hakam Singh run past me to
win the gold close to the finishing line. Both his knees were bent and that is
running,” said a disappointed Subra.
“The officials did nothing despite my protest.
The gold was mine and I was robbed off it,” said Subra who managed to obtain a
photograph showing Hakam actually running to the finish line.
Asked if Malaysia did not make any formal
protest, he simply replied: “I don’t know where the officials were and they
were not bothered either.”
On his happiest moment, he also replied, he
has two too.
“The first was to see Annatasia (Karen Raj) qualify
for the Olympics and be there with her after having missed my opportunity for
the Moscow Olympics. The second joy is that I am still involved in the sport
and contributing.”
But despite coaching Annatasia to qualify for
the Olympic, Subra was not named as the coach, but went on his own, with
assistance for funds from the National Sports Council, Federal Territory Kuala
Lumpur Athletics Association (FTKLAA) and well-wishers for his air-ticket.
“I stayed at a friend’s house and continued to
train Annatasia before the race and on race day was at the open ground but was
not allowed to the finishing area as it was cordoned off. But I broke through
and went in.”
Annatasia
at 21 became the became the first woman walker from Malaysia to qualify for the
1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, where she finished a creditable 24th out of 46
qualifiers with a national record of 45:47.00 in the 10km race.
Among
the walkers whom he had nurtured besides Annastasia, include Sea Games gold medallists
P. Ravindran, R. Morgan, Mohd Shahrulhaizy SAbdul Rahman, Narinder
Singh, Lo Choon Sieng, and 2015 Sea Games bronze medallist Khairul Harith Harun.
For
the 2015 Singapore Sea Games, Subra who was again not in the official
contingent for the Games, and made a day trip on his own to the Republic to
give charge Khairul Harith Harun some motivational words and returned
immediately after the race.
Subra who has been honoured with two titles, Ahli Mangku Negara (AMN) in 1988 and Johan Mahkota Wilayah (JMW) in 2013 and
has been recommended by FTSSC for the Datukship title.
“I am glad that I am still remembered and
thank FTSSC for nominating me for the title and if I get it, well and good.
“But if I don’t, I still have the personal
satisfaction of given my life to sports and made a mark as an athlete and
coach.”
Ends.
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