With National Day around the corner & as we cheer Team Singapore in the Rio Olympics, we must never forget our sporting past and how far we've come. As I've always maintained: "Honour the past, to fully appreciate the present..."
Since colonial times, Singapore has always been regarded as part of the greater Malayan family. Administratively, we were first part of the Straits Settlements and then a Crown Colony till we attained self-governance in 1959.
Sports wise, we competed as something like a State Team with our brethren in Peninsular Malaya & North Borneo in Athletics, Badminton, Football etc (just to name a few) but fortuitiously we were admitted as a full member of the IOC in 1947 (not sure how we did it, with City status) and was thus eligible to compete apart from Malaya.
In fact, Singapore's 1st Olympics was in 1948 London whereas Malaya first competed in the Olympics in Melbourne, 1956. At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics though, Singapore & Malaya put up a joint Malaysian team which was very strong sports wise!
Malayan/Malaysian sporting magazines featuring Singapore - 1956 till 1993 (Athletics / Cycling / Football)
Notice the coat of arm of colonial
Singapore on the left (next to "Amateur")
A.T. Rajah was VP of the AAA of Malaya. Asst Commissioner of Police A T Rajah is MOS Indranee Rajah's father!
Singapore Athletics should really invite MOS Indranee to be one of its Patrons
The Union Jack was used to represent Singapore as our National Flag was only instituted on 3 Dec 1959
Athletics Championships held at Farrer Park, Singapore just a week plus
BEFORE separation from Malaysia in 1965
1 Country, 2 Prime Ministers - perhaps it was inevitable that Singapore & Malaysia go their separate ways.
"Flying Doc" M Jegathesan running for Singapore state, alongside C Kunalan & Coach Tan Eng Yoon. Dr Jega is a ACSian!
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