The Greatest Three Nat Sch Cross Country Performers (Boys Category)

The Greatest Three Nat Sch Cross Country Athlete ever per Division.
(1) Lim Meng Sheng (C Division) Year 1995
(2) Harpreet Singh (B Division)    Year 1992
(3) M. Maran (A Division).           Year 1989

In my experience, I believe that there are 3 male cross country athletes, according to my perception, to be the greatest athletes of the decade if not century. The three of them are Lim Meng Sheng from The Chinese High School, Harpreet Singh from Teck Whye Sec and M. Maran from Assumption Sec.

Lim Meng Sheng (Terror of Opponents - C Division Champion for 4.8km distance with a time of 15min 52sec for his age group)

First, let me start off by discussing about Lim Meng Sheng. Meng Sheng was one of the finest long distance runner that was produced by  The Chinese High Sch. During the year, 1994, Oct, I came back to Singapore after finishing my overseas studies and started doing very serious training. It was one of the toughest training that I have ever come across. Although I was working as a relief teacher at National Junior College, I wanted to become a full time athlete and come out of teaching totally. While doing relief teaching, I was invited to go to Chiengmai to run the pre-SEA games route, which was in Feb 1995. I did a 2hrs 29min there and became the first person to qualify for the 1995 Sea Games in Thailand, Chiengmai.

When I came back from Chiengmai, I witnessed the national sch cross country 1995 at MacRitchie Reservoir. I saw the start of the C Division race. At the stretch of the last 1`km, I saw Meng Sheng about 1min away from the second position runner. The race looked like a David versus Goliath kind of performance. The opponents were bigger than Meng Sheng in size and they were nowhere to be seen. It was an awesome performance displayed by this Chinese High athlete. Meng Sheng was considered very short for his age. I realised that Meng Sheng had finally broke the 4.8km Macritchie Reservoir record in 15min 52sec. I hope that many can learn lessons from this runner who run like a terror. Before a race, Meng Sheng displayed sign of fearlessness. Even though, he was not connected to my friends and myself, I had a sense of mutual respect for him for his display of bravery and true courage. From the start, I realise that he likes to go with the opponents without regard to any speed that they bring him along. Such was his determination.

Harpreet Singh - 1992 - (Athlete who can psyche the coach)
B Division Champion and the best performer for a secondary 4 athlete - 4.8km in 14m 47sec.

I met this athlete when I was teaching Clementi Town Sec Sch (1989-1992). At that time, I was teaching English at that school. Harpreet Singh was introduced to me by Ong May Yan, the then teacher in-charge of Teck Whye Sec. She felt that I could help groom him. I was not sure of his talent but I invited him to my group of runners which consisted of N. Ganesan, G. Elangovan, Lindy Yap and Li Tienye. I consider some as my training partners. At the same time, I was training Clementi Town Sec Sch cross country team.

There was once, where I conducted an 800m time trial for a start. Harpreet could do a 2min 17sec without much training. My under 14 years old runner, by the name of Aktar, did 2min 18min for the time trial. Harpreet joined me around early June. In a month time, Harpreet ran in the heats of the under 14 boys and did 10min 31sec. Later on, in a tussle with Mohd Firman, who was trained by friend Ow Kok Meng, the teacher in-charge from Pasir Ris Sec, Harpreet did a 10min 08sec and Mohd Firman did 10min 11sec. From the start Harpreet led the race, knowing that Firman has a devastating speed. Harpreet broke the electronic record at that time. The impressive thing is that Harpreet was able to do this within a month. I have never seen this kind of performance improvement in my entire life.

When Harpreet was 15years old, he pushed me to set a higher goal for himself to run at. I told him to go for a sub 15min for the 4.8km MacRoute, boys course. I told him to go for all or nothing. In 1991, Harpreet did the first 1km in a time of 2min 58sec. He kept leading. At the last stretch, He was too tired to run because of lactate buildup from the first 1km mistake. Kamal Batcha ran behind and trailed him and finally at the last 1km, Harpreet was pushed to second. Since the gap of the first two runners were so far, Harpreet managed to do a 15min 31sec for the race. Kamal Batcha was also not able to do a sub 15min, but he managed a very good time.

The following year Harpreet was back with more fire to break the sub 15min. He always long to do a sub 15min rather than coming in first for the race. Harpreet displayed absolute fearlessness when he is encountering any challenge. In the nat sch cross country race, 1992,  Harpreet was told by me to go a 3min 10sec at the first 1km and then go all out for the sub 15min. There were opponents like Nigel Foo (Age group record holder for B Div - 2000m steeple chase time of 6min 11sec, electronic timing), Remy Gan and G. Elangovan. In the heats of the cross country.

Harpreet was told by me to go for a sub 15min before the finals. I told him that if he falls sick in the finals, it will be worth it to attempt the time now in the heats itself rather than the finals of the cross country race. Harpreet took a bold attempt and made the time of 14min 47sec in the heats. In the finals, Harpreet did a time of 14min 47sec by running solo unchallenged by the opponents about 200metres away by runners consisting of Remy Gan, G. Elangovan and Nigel Foo.

In one of the Swift Tan Soo Liat relay race 1992 ( 3km x 4) at Seletar Reservoir, Harpreet, N. Ganesan, A. Saravanan, myself and the Gurkhas participated.
The followings were the timings:
1. M. Maran  (Current Rec holder of Singpore - 3000m Steeplechase)       9 min 00sec
2. M. Rameshon (National Record, marathon 2hrs 24min 22sec)               9min 02sec
2. A. Saravanan (Current Record holder of Nat Sch u19 Track and Field   9min 02sec
3. Harpreet Singh (age 16)                                                                        9min 06sec
4. N. Ganesan    (Current Nat Record holder for Marathon)                       9min 08sec

It was also due to Harpreet's psychological talk to me that I can break the sub 2hr 30min that made to pursue and break the sub 2hr 30min barrier by a Singaporean.
Harpreet Singh's running career nosedived because his father who was not in favour of his running. In actual fact the best days for education in doing well in studies was during his running training days.His span of running was only for 1 1/2 year.

The Greatest A Division champion M. Maran (4.8km , 14min 13secs man)
The fastest time ever by any Singaporean.

M. Maran who was a sec 5 Normal stream student and a training partner to A. Saravanan, started doing well in running in the year 1989. At that time, I was a just teacher trainee at the then College of Physical Education. I was infact having a nagging 6 months of hamstring pull problem which I got it from a 400m x4 relay race.

In the very cool and perfect weather, after a heavy downpour, M. Maran performed a feat which became the best ever performance in Singapore history for any student to perform. Maran believed to have done 2min 55sec for the 1st 1km before going for a home run of doing 14min 13sec. Both of us got to know each other when we went down for the Asian Track and Field Championships in Kuala Lumpur, 1991. I had to run a 10km race to show my credibility to run in the SEA Games. I did in a time of 33m 03sec. The position I got was 10th out ot 12 athletes. Maran did in an impressive time of 9min 13sec in 3000m steeplechase race and broke the Nat record. Maran and his training partner A. Saravanan has a personal best of 3min 53sec for the 1500m.

My perception is that these 3 athletes, to my eyes, are the best performers for their age accordingly. This is just my subjective evaluatiion.