Heart and Soul: Tribute to P. Poonendarajah – Malacca High School teacher, mentor and hockey master

Hockey master Poonen (seated) with representatives of Malacca High School's hockey team in 1962 (Koh is on the right; Yang is second from right). Photo: M. Selvanathan

P. Poonendarajah, affectionately known as Master Poonen, passed away on Aug 21, 2024, at the age of 87. His legacy lives on in the countless students he developed, groomed, and nurtured into exceptional hockey players, many of whom went on to represent Malaysia on the Olympic stage.

During the 1960s and 70s, Master Poonen became a revered figure at Malacca High School (MHS, today known as SMK Tinggi Melaka), where his coaching not only led the school to numerous victories but also shaped the character and discipline of his students. He meticulously maintained a compilation of MHS hockey endeavours, cataloging competition results at both domestic and national levels, and created a detailed record of the players who went on to represent Malaysia at the senior and junior levels.