BAVA, Natahar @ Nat Bava
Sports Personalities of Singapore,
Accession Number 002972
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 9
Total Reels
- Michelle Low
Interviewer
- 08:34:44
Total Running Time
- English
Language
Copyright Notice
All rights to the recordings and transcripts on this website, including the rights to copy, publish, broadcast and perform, are reserved. Written permission is required for any use. If you have any queries, please contact nas@nlb.gov.sg
Reel/Disc 1 of 9
Metadata
- 31 Aug 2005
Recording Date
- 00:54:14
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Memories of childhood. Grew up in Market Street. Active outdoor life. Mother died when he was in Primary One. Father sold sop kambing (mutton soup) in Clifford Pier. Slept out in open. Lacked affection as a child. Stayed with different uncles after father re-married. Active in outdoor activities in order to stay away from trouble. Excelled in school sports. School was natural home. Father instilled discipline in him. Helped father in hawker stall.
Childhood games: hantam bola, climbing trees in Raffles Hotel and Cantonment Road. Did not want a deskbound job. Enjoyed Keppel School. Rivalry between Keppel School and Gan Eng Seng Primary School. Nicknamed 'Ali Baba'. Represented house for Sports Day. Impact of teachers' encouragement and support. Physical Education (PE) lessons were unstructured. Few house practices. Public caning for climbing tree. Soccer was popular sport. Not really into books. Re-took Primary School Leaving Examination due to leakage of test papers.
Posted to evening class at Gan Eng Seng School before attending Secondary 2 at Monks Hill. Excelled in track and field and rugby. Learnt rugby from principal Colonel Abdul Karim bin Abdul. Linesman incident. Monks Hill team called 'Giant Killers'. Dad thought he had been fighting. Coaches at Monks Hill. Played with adults in All Blacks club. Frequency of trainings. Incidents showing school's team spirit. Schoolmate Mohd Taip. Watched mat salleh playing rugby at the Padang. Initial rugby experience. Athletics in Monks Hill. Joined Singapore Achilles Club through SS Dhillon.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 9
Metadata
- 31 Aug 2005
Recording Date
- 00:57:27
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Achilles Club and Swift Athletic Club. Mostly students. No club rivalry among members selected for national team. Level of rivalry among clubs and schools. Got the most out of training in both school and club levels. Felt shy training in Farrer Park with top runners. Admired Jegathesan and Kunalan. Many track and field meets organised. Participation in sports gave him sense of self-esteem and belonging. Enjoyed practices. Running gave him sense of achievement. Put in extra effort. Did both rugby and athletics. Quit rugby because more mileage achievement and perks in athletics. Rugby was not well structured for Asians. National team limited to Singapore All Blues. Learnt by watching games.
Scolding from athletics coach after near injury in Under-23 rugby game. Tough decision. Worked as organising secretary of Bukit Timah community centre. Allowed time-off to train while at Teachers' Training College. Overjoyed when he was selected for national team. Tan Eng Yoon was a tough trainer. Relationship with Tan Eng Yoon. Under pressure during relays. Applying Tan's coaching techniques today. Training at Farrer Park with national squad. Club differences put aside. Centralised training before international competitions. Osman Merican, C Kunalan and other team mates. No opportunities for overseas training. No sponsorships. Minimal conditions.
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Reel/Disc 3 of 9
Metadata
- 6 Sep 2005
Recording Date
- 00:58:06
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
No special diet. Used to take raw eggs. National pride over monetary incentives. Separation gave him opportunity to run for country. Recognition received. Rugged society. Outward Bound experience in Lumut. Incidents of nationalism with Raffles Institution scout group in Malacca and rugby players in Hong Kong. Excited and nervous at 3rd Southeast Asian Peninsular (SEAP) Games in Kuala Lumpur, 1965. Joy from putting in mileage. Description of stadium and crowd. Rub-down massage and eating together. Did not leave venue. Reception back home. Brought medals to school to motivate students. Only kept international medals.
Asian Games in Bangkok, 1966. Photo finish between Jegathasan, Kunalan and Japanese runner. Lost gold medal prospect during 4 x 100m relay when team dropped baton. Kunalan's determination won them silver medal in 4 x 400m relay. Overcame disappointment. No hard feelings. National record holder for 400m for only one week. 4th SEAP Games in Bangkok, 1967. Bronze and silver for relays. Not as exciting as previous SEAP Games. Athletes really worked hard. Violated amateur status when he advertised for Sloane's Liniment. Quit athletics at age 24 because of this mistake. Difference between mode of training of athletics and rugby. Disappointed but switched to rugby. First All Citizen's Team in Hong Kong 1971.
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Reel/Disc 4 of 9
Metadata
- 14 Sep 2005
Recording Date
- 00:58:15
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Not difficult to switch to rugby. Blacks welcomed him. Complete cut off from track. Differences between track and field of rugby: training, variety of roles, camaraderie. Challenging opponents. Nationalistic movement within rugby. Niaz Mohd Shah fielded All Citizens' National Team in 1972. Carried that patriotism further when he took over national team. Implications of All Citizen's team. Expatriates supported them. Rugby still not highly publicised.
Blacks Rugby Football Club instrumental in developing local players. Dyed jerseys black. Switched from winger to wing forward. Other teams. Rivalry among clubs. Blacks supported by Fraser & Neave. Annual game with Cobras in Kuala Lumpur. Mentors in Blacks included boxer Bulat. Bloody games between Blacks and Singapore Cricket Club. Disbanded selection and coaching sub-committees when he took over as national coach. Captains appointed during his time as player. Competitive trials for All Citizens' Team. Good feeling playing for country. Changed national team name and symbol. Training before going to Hong Kong.
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Reel/Disc 5 of 9
Metadata
- 21 Sep 2005
Recording Date
- 00:56:13
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Scored two tries in match against Malaysia in 3rd Asian Games in Hong Kong, 1972. Adventures in Hong Kong. Communication and cooperation among players. Sponsored by Tiger Beer. Proper attire for each player. Coach Mike Jeffries. Differences in club culture. No monetary rewards. Accomplished objective of fielding team, did not expect more but came back 4th. Straits Times gave team full coverage. Morale of team very high. Singapore Rugby Union (SRU) invited him to coach after his stint in America in 1976.
Teaching career. Vast difference between Singapore and American education system. Played rugby for university. How he started teaching in Raffles Institution (RI). Rugby coach in RI. Kiwi Cup between RI and St Andrew's. Incident where Philip Liau put his name down in black book. Acquired coaching techniques through trial and error. Volunteer coach. Initial mistakes made as coach of national squad. Picked up most of coaching through experimentation. Felt great to be asked to coach national team. Appointed with John Koh and Brother Sylvester. Song Koon Poh, Mohd Taip and Hamzah were dedicated players. Strange to be coaching friends. Made players believe in themselves and each other.
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Reel/Disc 6 of 9
Metadata
- 21 Sep 2005
Recording Date
- 00:58:10
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Recalled e-mail from ex-student and ex-national player Richard Ting. Shared dream with players and Howard Cashin to achieve something. Drove players like crazy. Up to 20 months' preparation. Debrief and team discussions. Fitness training and innovative cross-training (track, basketball, gym work, running in MacRitchie and Mount Faber). Minimal disciplinary problems. Players suffered from withdrawal syndrome. Bought fish head curry and prata for team. Reporter Dharsan Singh paid for sop kambing. Senior players led newcomers. Induction rituals.
Overcame difficulties in coaching ex-teammates. Experience of detached captains. Radical change he made by allowing players to nominate captain. Spent more personal time with captain. Jarmal Singh's Sikh joke. 3rd SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, 1977. Sang Majulah Singapura each time they saw flag. Beating Malaysia boosted team. Rivalry and hostility between Singapore and Malaysia teams. Start of golden era of rugby in Singapore. Strategies for beating larger players. Enthusiasm in players of brand new team. Experimentation in fielding players and trainings.
Historic win when they beat Armed Forces in MRU (Malaysian Rugby Union) Cup. Chiang Mai Sevens and Hong Kong Sevens. Beat Hong Kong in Asian Tournament. Beat Kiwis in semi-finals of MRU with fitness and team spirit. Won 1st time in 44 years. Difficult keeping team in peak performance. Used money for rugby coaching course in Loughborough. Recommendations to Singapore Rugby Union: create base, let professionals run union, conduct systematic coaching course.
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Reel/Disc 7 of 9
Metadata
- 7 Oct 2005
Recording Date
- 00:58:00
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Different tactics used for each team. Consensual decision. 'Banana' drop kick strategy. Code words. Qualities he looked for in players. Song Koon Poh was exemplary player. Blending different personalities. Happy to be nominated Coach of the Year. Influenced by his own coaches. He emphasised fitness. Celebration at the Istana. Team donated blood during Spyros disaster. Award put team on higher level. Positive media support. Good leadership in Singapore Rugby Union (SRU) under Howard Cashin. Gave SRU ideas but not involved in policy making.
Benefits of mini-rugby. Hopes girls will move into tackle rugby. Coaching courses. Fitness workout with Division 1 football team. Why he quit: promoted to director of athletics at Singapore American School (High School) and change in attitude of some senior players. Coached Anglo-Chinese School's (ACS) B team. Dream was to be director of athletics. Painful watching rugby games when not coaching. Challenged by Selverajah to bring ACS team to finals. Henry Lee became first Singaporean to play professional rugby.
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Reel/Disc 8 of 9
Metadata
- 11 Oct 2005
Recording Date
- 00:58:19
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Outgrown school loyalty. Felt proud coaching Anglo-Chinese School rugby team. S Rajagopal asked him to help coach Cairnhill Division 1 soccer team. Successfully transferred coaching blueprint from rugby to soccer. Soccer had more support than rugby. Caretaker rugby coaches during interim period. Noticed fragmentation of team upon his return, compared to shared identity and cohesion when he first coached team. Panel of coaches could not attain his level of commitment. Felt good returning to coach. Frustrations when key players did not turn up. Team picked up and won Malaysian Rugby Union Cup second time. Lost to Malaysia in opening game of Asian Rugby Tournament. Forbade gambling before tournament.
Centralised training at Sea View Hotel. Elaboration on conflicts among club players. Leadership change in Singapore Rugby Union (SRU). Athletes should put nation before club. Morale of team when he left. Parallel between Under-23 team and first national team he coached. Felt lousy when he quit coaching for good. Song Koon Poh incident. SRU did not step into disciplinary problems with players. SRU has never extended invitations to him. No contractual agreement between SRU and players then.
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Reel/Disc 9 of 9
Metadata
- 20 Oct 2005
Recording Date
- 00:56:00
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Hosting of Asian Rugby Tournament in Singapore. Funding and sponsorships. Paid officials instead of volunteers. Present-day team should move up. Japan and Korea have better structure and base. Have not attended any rugby games recently. Good facilities and equipment now. Used to be nomads. Worked closely with media to build up national team. Sacrificed time and money. Drank with team at Robin's Tavern at Asia Hotel. Team spirit was reason for team's transformation. Career in sports was accidental but one of survival. Taught him ABCs of life. Strengths and weaknesses. Worst moment was losing to Malaysia in Asian Rugby Tournament. High points in rugby and athletics.
His anecdote about Richard Ting. Interviewee expelled from game when he thought player's head was a ball. Sustained many injuries. Ran away from hospital in Penang after breaking clavicle. Re-invented rugby section as coach, player and convenor in Singapore Recreation Club. Preferred playing to coaching. What it takes to be a successful sportsman and coach. Advice to sportsmen and coaches: be passionate and genuine.
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