EXACTLY 28 years ago today, after etching his name in the annals of Malaysian athletics, veteran runner N. Shanmuganathan is proving that the greatest victories are not always won on the track, but in overcoming life’s toughest challenges.
On Sept 17, 1998, Shan, as he is popularly known, set a national 3,000m steeplechase record at the 16th Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. His time of 8:59.10 has withstood the test of time, remaining unbroken to this day.
Sept 17 seems to be an auspicious day for Shan. On the same date in 2023, he clocked 10:10.2 to set a national 3,000m Masters record in the men’s 45-49 age category at the Malaysia International Masters Athletics Championships at the UM Stadium.
Now 51, Shan is still a remarkable runner and has enjoyed a string of successes this year, including the Pantai Malindo 10km (Feb 15), Pantai Remis 12km (May 10), Dataran Warisan Taiping 10km (Aug 9) and Property Hero Run 10km in Sungai Petani (Sept 5).
“I still have the joy of running. Every time I run, I feel grateful that I am able to do what I love,” Shan told Buletin Mutiara in an interview.
But beyond the medals and prizes, Shan has made a remarkable comeback.
In February 2015, he was fighting for his life after being involved in a hit-and-run accident that left him with a serious head injury. He spent 17 days in a coma and later struggled with depression. But against great odds, he found his way back.
Shan still vividly remembers his race at the ’98 Commonwealth Games, when he hardly knew any of his nine competitors. But the moment he learnt that there were Kenyan world-class runners in the field, he began to feel the pressure.
“I was nervous when I learnt that one of the Kenyans was a world record holder. I asked them if I could warm up together with them before the race, and they said, ‘okay’. During the warm-up itself, I found their pace too fast for me,” Shan recalled.
The 3,000m steeplechase, featuring 10 athletes, went straight into the final before the blue-ribbon events of the Games – the women’s 100m final and the men’s 100m final.
A capacity crowd of approximately 100,000 thronged the Bukit Jalil National Stadium that day, with all eyes on the men’s 100m final, which featured star attractions such as Ato Boldon of Trinidad and Tobago, Frankie Fredericks of Namibia, Darren Campbell of England and Matt Shirvington of Australia.
“When I entered my race and saw the massive crowd, I was scared. The crowd shouted ‘Malaysia!’ While I was proud to wear the national jersey, I dared not look up. Then, one of the Kenyan runners asked me, ‘Where are your shoes?’ He was surprised to see me barefoot,” Shan said.
“My Russian coach, Pavel, was always a good motivator. He said, ‘Shan, believe in yourself. This is your country. Walk like a champion.’ But I began to doubt him because he did not tell me about the Kenyans.
“During the race, I followed the Kenyans and other top runners, and panicked when I could not keep up with their pace. Furthermore, I was unaware of the split timings at certain points that allowed runners to check and gauge their pace. My coach shouted my lap times, but I could not hear his advice as it was drowned out by the noise of the crowd.”
The mighty Kenyans, as expected, swept the top three places through John Kosgei (8:15.34), Bernard Barmasai (8:15.37) and Kipkirui Misoi (8:18.24). Shan finished ninth and last after one competitor dropped out of the race.
“An announcement then came out – a new record for Malaysia and the first Malaysian man to run 8 minutes 59.10 seconds. I never thought I could break the record.”
Inspired, Shan trained hard for the Bangkok Asian Games, which were to be held the following month. To his disappointment, he was dropped from the team at the eleventh hour.
“From that day, I gave up athletics. I was heartbroken,” Shan said.
Upon returning to Penang, he started hanging around with friends and developed a drinking habit. At one point, his weight increased to as high as 97.5kg.
After the accident during Thaipusam in 2015, and having taken about a year to regain his full memory, Shan decided not to wallow in self-pity but to return to the track. He managed to shed 20kg after one year and eight months of training while working different jobs, including as a security guard, gardener, car washer and cleaner.
His consistent training paid off at the 2018 Asia Pacific Masters Games (APMG), where he won the 10km road race, 3,000m steeplechase and 5,000m, as well as silver in the 1,500m, while competing in the 40-and-above age category at the City Stadium.
More than that, he was given the honour of taking the oath on behalf of the athletes at the Games, which Penang hosted.
Because of his dedication and love for athletics, Shan has been hired as a part-time coach by the Penang State Sports Council (MSNPP) for the past six years to train the youth development Sukma squad’s middle- and long-distance runners.
“I must thank MSNPP director Harry Chai for giving me the opportunity to be a part-time coach. This allows me to impart my knowledge to young athletes and, at the same time, become a professional coach.
“The hard times taught me valuable lessons and changed me. I must thank God for putting me through this. We must only be patient, and God will reward us. My parents are now very happy with the dream I am chasing,” said Shan, who is married and has a 20-year-old son.
He is also thankful that his former employer, Maybank, and the Yayasan Kebajikan Atlet Kebangsaan (National Athletes Welfare Foundation) came to his assistance during his recovery.
Shan himself won a historic three Sukma gold medals in the 3,000m steeplechase – in 1994 for Pahang, 1996 for Selangor and 1998 for Penang. He also won the 3,000m steeplechase six times for Maybank at the inter-bank athletics championships from 1996 to 2001. In 2022, Shan represented Penang at the Malaysian Government Servants Welfare and Sports Council (Maksak) championships in Johor Baru and won the 1,500m and 3,000m.
Today, he is very single-minded about what he wants to achieve: proper training, proper diet, and proper sleep.
“To be a champion, you need to be disciplined – train well, eat well and sleep well. Sleep is very important, and I usually go to bed by 9pm. My son also heeds my advice not to look at his mobile phone after 9pm.
“My desire is to represent Malaysia again, either at the Asia Pacific Masters Games or the World Athletics Masters Championships. In 1998, I registered myself for the APMG; this time, I want to represent Malaysia and win a medal for the country. I made a mistake of giving up early in my career,” Shan said.
Just before the interview ended, Shan showed the top of his right arm, bearing a tattoo of the Malaysian flag below the words: SHAN, 3,000m, 8:59.10s, 17.09.1998.
For Shan, it was a moment to reminisce about a day that changed his life forever.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Adleena Mohd Rahayu and courtesy of N. Shanmuganathan