"I got up extra early today. I had
to do my intervals to prepare for my event - the 4000m individual
pursuit that would be held the
next day - and I was excited as I ever could be. It was 1989 and New
Delhi in India was the place, and this was the 13th Asian Cycling Championship.
" I was slated to ride against Thailand - they always pit riders of the
same zone together - then the best of each zone will have a crack at
each other later... if it sounds confusing, it is! All one needs to
know is that the aim is to beat the other guy on the opposite side
of the velodrome each time!!! It sounds easy, but we are talking about
5 best rides of your life here if you want to win a medal!
" First, I had to take on the rider from THAILAND at 9.00 a.m. I lapped
him on the 8th lap, so I got to the next round at 2.00 p.m. Need to
eat lunch first!
"
I met India next, with the home crowd doing a INDIAN version of the
KALLANG roar. Boy, did I feel like the court idiot!!! I almost lost
it there and then because the home crowd kept jeering me everytime
I went past the home straight. Who could blame them, this WAS India
and who would want to cheer for a "CHINAMAN" in the wrong
country!!! But beat him I did and I went on to the next round!
" Now it's CHINAMAN against CHINAMAN, a Singaporean to be exact! He was
good - I only managed to pull away on the 8th lap - and this was a
12 lap race! It WAS close, considering that one lap is 333 meters only.
"
So there I was, in the finals, after two days fo trying to stay upright
on the velodrome, not getting food poisoning or being run over by "toot
toot" drivers everytime I went for a training ride!!!
"
I was "made" (!!!) but there was still one fellow I needed
to beat to get to that gold colored piece of tin that would adorn my
neck. He was a Korean and HE was all I had to "do" to be "numero
uno" in ASIA!!!
" Well, I lost and he beat me to the gold and I was a SILVER-man?!! Oh
well!!!
"
When I returned home from the championships, little did I know that
the silver medal that I had won was only the 2nd medal that a Singaporean
has ever won in an Asian event! Wow! After all these years we have
only got 2 medals to date!!!??? What a pity; if we had more I believe
CYCLING wouldn't be under the "OTHERS" category in the Singapore
Sports Council's book on whats what's in local sports!!!
"
If this story about winning medals inspires anyone to think that he/she
can be the next champion, come down to 215B Upper Thomson Road and
you can see that "silver-coated piece of tin" that inspired
me to do what I did for twelve years... and I am still doing it!
" Cheers!"
