PSC – Emergence of New Generation of Water Polo Players of the 1960s

In 1967, the shortage of water polo players in Singapore prompted John Gan, the founder member of PSC, to search for new talent. He began at the Yan Kit Swimming Pool, looking for promising young individuals who would be members of a future dream team. The pool was located in the Yan Kit neighbourhood mostly inhabited by the poor and less privileged families. Many of the youths were wayward teenagers and some were even involved in the secret societies. John was solely instrumental in recruiting and nurturing these new recruits from a diversity of social and economic background. He singlehandedly imparted strong moral values, determination and discipline to these recruits, transforming them from immature, unruly, sometimes at risk youngsters into formidable water polo players of good character with colourful personalities to match.

John’s efforts and sacrifices bore fruits in just a short span of time. Little more than a year after started training the youths, a group of very talented players like Chua Cheng Ann, Soh Seng Thit, Soh Seng Hoi, Richard Chew, Robert Leong, Koh Lye Meng and Tan Chin Chye, were selected to join the National Combined School’s team. John’s trainees formed the bulk of the Combined School team which participated in the 1968 Annual Triangular Swimming and Water Polo meet held in Kuala Lumpur. The other members of the team comprised mainly from the Anglo Chinese School. Although the team did not manage to defeat the eventual champion Malaysia team, the PSC players gained much exposure and experience from the event.

The following year, the National Combined School’s team (now totally made up of PSC players like Nam Choon, Wan Chin Siang, Chua Cheng Ann, Ong Kian Cheng, Soh Seng Thit, Soh Seng Hoi, Richard Chew, Andrew Ho Kar Sheng, Stanley Leong, Poon Kim Meng and Tan Chin Chye) put their experience from the past year’s event to good use by resoundingly defeating the favourite Malaysian team with a score of 9-4 in the water polo tournament held in Penang.

In a short span of only 2 years, outstanding talents groomed through the PSC was discovered by the national selectors. A new generation of young players like Seng Thit, Ong Kian Cheng, Robert Leong, Richard Chew and Tan Chin Chye emerged in the local water polo scene.

Kian Cheng and Chin Chye were the earliest and youngest members of the national squad which won the Singapore’s 150-Anniversary Water Polo Tournament held in conjunction with the Pesta Sukan in 1969 beating teams from Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. Both of them were subsequently selected to represent Singapore in the 1969 SEAP (South East Asian Peninsula) Games held in Rangoon playing alongside older former Tiger Club members like John Gan, Pang Tee Ann, Tan Yam Cheng, Gan Eng Teck, Peter Foo, etc. PSC also saw 3 of its very own swimmers, William Chay, Joseph Yow and Soh Seng Hoi winning gold medals in the Swimming events.

The ensuing years saw more new players like Robert Leong, Richard Chew together with Chin Chye, John Gan and Pang Tee Ann being selected to compete in the Asian Games held in Bangkok in 1970.

The emergence of many more young and talented players like Eddy Tay, Colin Tay, Hun Nam, Hun Kee, Hun Weng, Bey Soo Kiang, Chong Khin Loke, Wan Chin Siang, Chua Cheng Ann, Ho Kar Sheng, Albert Tan, Stanley Leong, Leong Yew Cheong, Jimi Koh, Andrew Koh, Jerry Koh, Philip Cheong, Seng Tat, Tan Ai Huat, Alan Tan, Tan Ai Chiew, Bernard Wong, Vincent Chan, Lim Jin Teck, Teo Tuck Chuan and Teo Tat Yew injected further impetus to the growing number of PSC players in the local waterpolo scene. Feeder Schools like Gan Eng Seng, ACS Barker, Outram, etc., also regularly sent their students to train with PSC. Some of the better players like Lim Teck Hin, Victor Sim, Lionel Liew, John Chia, Aw Pak Kong, Lee Kok Kee, Adrian Boon, amongst others, were indirectly, the products of PSC training system.

1971 and 1973 saw PSC achieved it’s best performance ever when 8 out of 11 players formed the National Waterpolo Team at the 1971 SEAP Games in Kuala Lumpur and 1973 SEAP Games held in Singapore.

In the 1974 Asian Games, many of the PSC players continued to don the national colours. The same players were also part of the jubilant National Team of the Year winners in 1975 when they won the SEAP Games gold medal.

Although PSC is predominantly a water polo group, some of the members like William Chay, Joseph Yow, Soh Seng Hoi, Aw Keng Oh and Kong Kum Weng also represented Singapore in Swimming, including divers such as Albert Tham, Sally Lim and Hui Peng Seng. Under the guidance and training of Mr Loh, George Fong, Neo Chwee Kok and Gan Eng Hong, who was once a Tiger waterpolo player himself, William Chay, Joseph Yow, Aw Keng Oh, Soh Seng Hoi, Victor Aw, Gan Eng Kiat, Jimmy Tay, James Yow, Teo Tuck Chuan, Teo Tuck Yew, Wong Hon Fai, Jerome Chan, Loh Ning Kwang, Anne Loh and Loh Mei Fong started as novices to become combined school/national swimmers breaking the domination of ACS held over local swimming competitions in the 1970s.