Versatile athlete: Savithri showing her many medals in discus, pentathlon and 100m hurdles.
PETALING JAYA: Former national athlete P. Savithri once carried her own hurdles, threw the discus and chased after it herself.
With barely any coaches around and countless challenges in her path, she pressed on – driven only by her love for athletics and hockey.
Her dedication bore fruit with a successful sporting career before she moved on to serve as a physical education teacher, coaching youngsters and finding fulfilment in passing on the lessons that sport had instilled in her.
Decades have since slipped by, much of it away from the glare of the spotlight, but at 84, Savithri still treasures every moment she had wearing national colours in both athletics and hockey.
Savithri was part of a legendary group of athletes back in the 1960s until 1980s including Datuk M. Rajamani and Tan Sri Dr M. Jegathesan.
Versatile athlete: as she is now.
She was known for her versatility and winning medals in the SEAP Games in discus, pentathlon, and 100m hurdles.
Savithri was also part of the national hockey team from 1965 to 1974. The Negri Sembilan-born Savithri shared that every moment as an athlete representing the country filled her with pride and happiness.
“It’s difficult to say which was my most memorable moment. I cherished every moment as an athlete representing Malaysia,” said Savithri.
“I was in the same batch as Rajamani and Jegathesan. That time was Malaysia’s Golden Era in athletics.
“My first time representing the country was in the 1965 SEAP Games in Kuala Lumpur.
“I was a bit nervous as it was my first major competition. I was not that good yet.
“In events, I only finished fourth or fifth. I was still so happy and proud to represent the country.”
Missing out on medals though did not deter Savithri but only fuelled her determination to improve.
“I went back to my hometown and continued training hard. I didn’t have a coach in my state that time,” said Savithri.
During her days as a hockey player.
“Back in the day, there were no coaches in states. So, I trained all by myself.
‘’I had to carry my own hurdles. There was no one to help me measure or correct me. I will throw the discus and go and pick it up.
“I only had a coach, Edwin Abraham when I joined centralised training in Kuala Lumpur which was about a month before the SEAP Games.
“So, I learned all I could from Edwin and went back home and practised.”
Savithri’s hardwork and perseverance paid off when she captured bronze in the discus and pentathlon in the 1967 SEAP Games in Bangkok.
Then, she went on to win gold in the pentathlon and silver in the 100m hurdles in the 1971 Games which was held in Kuala Lumpur.
Savithri attributed her success to self-discipline and determination.
“I could say that I was determined to succeed in sports. I was always very active in sports when I was growing up.
“My father was a sportsman and encouraged me to take up sports. I represented my state in competitions in both athletics and hockey.
“Winning medals gave me the motivation to carry on competing. I was called up for the Malaysian meet and then chosen for the SEAP Games in 1965. I was 21 at that time.
“I was disciplined as training without a coach was difficult. I always wished there was someone to guide me and correct my technique,” added Savithri.
Savithri also recalled fondly her time playing hockey for the country.
“I liked hockey and I was a fullback. I was part of the Malaysian team that toured Australia in 1965,” said Savithri.
“I still remember that was the year Malaysia and Singapore split. Singapore players were with us in one team. When we were in Melbourne, we heard Singapore split from Malaysia.
“We were all heartbroken. We trained together and were united. The following year, we had to have separate teams.”
After her athletic career ended when she was 30, Savitri remained passionate about sports and was eager to share her experience with students as a physical education teacher.
“I went to Penang Teacher’s Training College when I was still an athlete. I taught physical education in King George V school,” said Savithri.
“When I ended my career as an athlete, I started coaching the hockey and netball teams. I also taught athletics.
“Overall, I’m satisfied with my career. I achieved what I wanted both as an athlete and as a teacher,” said Savithri, her voice carrying the calm assurance of a life well lived.
Still, she cannot help but feel a little saddened when she sees how far Malaysian athletics has drifted from the glory days of her generation, when she, Rajamani and Jegathesan were household names.
“During my time, Malaysia was among the top countries in athletics. We were very dedicated, and we were close-knit as a group,” she reflected.
“Training hard and bringing glory to the country was everything to us and medals were part of the journey.”
Those memories stand in sharp contrast to today.
“It’s so different now. Athletes are not as dedicated as before, and in schools, there isn’t a proper sports programme,” she said softly.
Yet, Savithri chooses to hold on to hope. She points to 21-year-old sprint sensation Mohd Azeem Fahmi, whose bronze in the 100m at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games offered a glimpse of promise.
“Azeem is the only bright star we have now,” she said with a gentle smile.
“Hopefully, he will keep growing and maybe, just maybe, others will rise to follow in his footsteps.”
That is the future that Savithri longs to see.
