by Allan CF Goh

Excuse me for misusing this site to eulogize a friend, who has just said his last goodbye. Koh Yeow Tong was, and will always remain, a valued classmate of the Class of ’59 of the Batu Pahat High School.

Classmates fondly call him the super-athlete. He ruled over the field and track events on every Sports Day in the school, district and state. He also excelled in games, and played in the Asian All Blues (a bunch of blue-ribboned sportsmen from Asia) in rugby, challenging the mighty European teams.

On field, he was the demon sportsman; off field, an impish gentleman, generous to a fault, always concerned with fellow classmates. We will certainly miss him. He will live on in our collective memory.

May his soul rest in peace.

The Race
(Dedicated to Koh Yeow Tong)

The group of young athletes,
Muscled in superb condition,
Mass at one end of the field,
In suppressed anticipation.
Getting ready for the race,
They do their warm-up exercise.
They stretch and windmill their arms,
They are tense and well energized.

The loud-speaker booms the call;
Each racer moves to his own lane,
They adjust the starting block,
And hope, pray for the glory grand.
Settling down on their block.
They crouch in stilled concentration,
Oblivious of everything,
Every muscle steeled to action.

The starter calls to ready,
Set, ending with the pistol’s loud sound.
All the racers shoot out fast,
Launching their bodies off the ground.
In a bunch, they start the race.
In a line they speed down the lanes,
With breaths blowing with control,
With pumping muscles and flying manes.

That’s the hundred-meter race.
As the runners race down the course,
The bunch separates the best.
These speedy warriors fight their cause.
The whole stadium comes to life.
The crowd yells their loud, wild support.
Time speeds on for everyone.
The supporters show great rapport.

To the ending line, they charge,
Bunched up, the runners cross the line.
The winner raises his hands,
Acknowledging a victory fine!
He does the proud victory lap,
To the crowd’s loud encouragement;
Humbled to have won the gold,
And the hard training’s fulfillment.