Former St Andrew’s Secondary School rugby master Yee Teck Peng dies aged 90
A coach who was well ahead of his time. That is how Yee Teck Peng, St Andrew’s Secondary School’s rugby master for close to three decades, is being remembered by those who played under him.
Yee died on Thursday at the age of 90. He was the school’s rugby master from 1955 to 1990, apart from a period when he became the secretary and manager of Sentosa Golf Club from 1973 to 1979.
Former Singapore international Leow Kim Swun, who played under Yee at St Andrew’s, recalled how he introduced a strength and conditioning regimen to help the players beef up their physique at a time when few schools were doing so. It is now part of elite sports teams’ training programmes.
The 69-year-old added: “He gave us a lot of self-confidence. He was someone who would encourage you to play your game as long as it was within the game plan. He wouldn’t try to stop you from trying to do something.”
Kim Swun’s older brother Kim Liat, who captained Singapore in the 1970s, also recalled how Yee was a meticulous coach who would review video footage with the team to highlight their good and bad points.
Yee is also remembered by players for his gentlemanliness. Kim Liat, 72, said: “One of the key things I learnt from him was in the game that if the opposition is a dirty player, so be it. You just carry on and play your best and to be able to control our temper was one of the key things I learnt from him as well.”
This was a sentiment that was echoed by former Singapore Rugby Union (SRU) president Low Teo Ping, who had come up against Yee’s teams in the 1960s when he was a rugby player with Raffles Institution.
Even though both schools were rivals, Low noted how Yee would still be gracious in defeat.
The veteran sports administrator, who was SRU chief from 2006 to 2017, said: “When we won, he would congratulate us. You’re talking about the highest of rivalries but there was never an unkind word so I thought this was really a man that one should respect.”
Even after he left his coaching job, Yee, who was also a teacher with St Andrew’s, remained a familiar presence at matches, often attending, inter-school, club and national team games.
Yee would also continue to attend training sessions and his words left a lasting impression on many St Andrew’s players over the years. He was one of the reasons why SRU’s head of commercial, public relations and communications Douglas Danapal decided to pursue a career in rugby.
Danapal, who studied at St Andrew’s from 1996 to 1999, said: “One thing (he said) that stuck with me was it doesn’t matter what size you are, rugby is for everyone and you shouldn’t be afraid to tackle the largest guy.
“He also mentioned one more thing, which is why I stayed in rugby and that was, ‘Contribute what you can, even if you’re not the best player, you can do other things in the future and give back’.”
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