MALAYSIAN LONG DISTANCE CHAMPION

TRANSLATION OF M.RAMACHANDRAN HISTORY IN ENGLISH

M. RAMACHANDRAN HISTORY

M. Ramachandran was born in 1966 in 9hb.April Panchor, Muar. His

father is Mr.Murusamy A / L Thiruvengadam. His mom is
Pn.Muniammal a / p Sinnappa Reddy. He was the seventh of nine
siblings. He received his early education in primary school in Kota
Raja Panchor, Muar and furthered his studies at the School of Sultan
Alauddin Shah 1 Riayat Pagoh, Muar and completed his schooling at
the College of Natural Adabi Maharani Muar.

M. Ramachandran has its own history before able to champion title

and become the first Malaysian athlete to clock in under 30 minutes
in the 10,000 meters event.

He suffered from asthma since childhood. He can not take part in

sports when he was 7 years old. However, he ignored the threat of
the disease and continued to train with persistence and ultimately
suffered from asthma for many years has continued to give up and
go away by itself.

Everything changed when he furthered his studies at the secondary

school where one day when he played football on the pitch Tamil
National Type Primary School Lanadron Panchor Farm, a teacher
watching him run to the upper and lower catch the ball. The teacher
was called Mr. Shahrom bin Suhaimi, who has taught in secondary
schools Sarsi Pagoh. Suhaimi bin Shahrom Ramachandran asked to
stop playing football and switch to the sport. In the beginning, but
Ramachandran is not so keen on forcing so he tried to give
particular attention to athletics 400m and 800m.

At the age of 15 years he represented his team in a tournament

where the school won the 800m. Since then he has stopped playing
football and continue his career in the 800m and 1500m events. His
success continued in the district and state levels. Ramachandran
continued intensive training under the guidance of Mr. Shahrom. As
a result, at the age of 16 years of Rama has begun to show his
prowess by winning three gold medals at the school district, state
by breaking the record.

In 1985, Ramachandran has won 3 gold medals in the MSSM in the

event 1500m, 5000m 3000m run and prevented. Although he is a
champion in school, but he only ranked fifth in the national athletics
championships. Spirit is in Rama enabled him to improve his
position from fifth place to third in the next year in the same
tournament. Rama greatness began in 1987 when the national
athletics championships he has won the first gold medal at the
national level in the 5000m event. Since then, Rama only focus on
the 5000m and 10000m until his retirement in 2001. He was the sole
athlete of defending national champions for 15 years for the 5000m
and 10000m events.

Ramachandran elected to represent the National Athletic

Championship in Bangkok, Thai Royal Invitation to win the bronze
medal in the tournament. This is the first tournament he
represented the country in record time of 15:06.95. Rama
performance continued when he was a member of SWIFT Singapore
sports club where he has won many competitions in Singapore and
that's where he figures to break 15 minutes in 5000m event with a
championship record time of 14:57:55 in the sport among the clubs
of Singapore.

After Ramachandran working with Maybank in 1987, he trained

under coach Mr. R. Jeganathan, until his retirement. In 1988 the
Athletics championships , Ramachandran has won two gold medals
at the same time he also recorded a time of 14:38.61 in the 5000m
event at the SEA Games was selected to represent a new record of
the Kuala Lumpur SEA SPORTS. Athletics championships opened in
NSW in 1989, Rama had managed to break the national record of
10000m event clocked 30:47.7. At the SEA Games, Ramachandran
was able to win two silver medals. He was chosen to represent the
Country in the Asian race in New Delhi, India, and there he was
ranked No. 4 by breaking the national record again with a 30; 05.95.
Ramachandran greatness not only in the track event, but He also
had control of events such as the 10km and 21km highway in the
country since 1990 until 2001. The main success was the winning
run in the highway Terengganu International Bridge also won by 4
kali.Beliau Indosat in Jakarta 10km Run 2 times. At more than 100
lack of highway runoff in the country, Ramachandran won.
Achievements during the year 1989 to enable selected as Athletes
hope Ramachandran Johor in 1989.

Since 1990 till 1992 performance is not very encouraging despite

Ramachandran breaking the national record 3 times in the 5000m
event. In the Manila SEA Games Rama only ranked fourth in Kuala
Lumpur despite winning the Silver medal. Ramachandran does not
know the meaning of despair in which he started in 1993 to restore
his greatness by winning many competitions.

Ramachandran”s Excellence in 1993 was due to the training in

Melbourne, Australia for three months (April-June 1992) under the
guidance of Head Coach of Australia Mr Tony Bensonwho has
expressed him to be Olympic gold medalist. In Australia,
Ramachadran have learned a lot about running techniques and
tactics. As a result, he can restore a dismal performance for three
years.

Ramachandran was excellent in Singapore SEA Games 1993

Ramachandran has won two gold medals by breaking the national
and SEA Games record with a record time of 14: 08.97 (5000M ) and
30, 05:09 (10000m) in which the SEA Games 5000m record remains
the SEA Games record till today in Malaysia. Ramachandran “s
success in Singapore was also celebrated by the whole family,
especially his mother who first came to see him run even though he
has been more than 10 years active in athletics. Ramachandran’S
success in the Lion City has enabled him to win the John Hancock
Award. Since the 1993 SEA Games, Ramachandran dominated both
events until the year 1999 in which overall he has collected eight
gold medals and two silver medals at the SEA Games that followed.
He is also the first athlete to defend the title of the best distance
runners in Southeast Asia for four consecutive times.

Ramachandran was elected representative of the World Athletics

Championships in Stuttgart, Germany where created national
record-breaking event 10000m with 29:38.97. He became the first
athlete of 10000m to run under 30 minutes. After that he took part in
the Tournament Golf and Racing Asia in Manila where he won a
silver medal in the 10000m event. In addition he also won many
international invitation tournament in the sport in 1993.

In 1993, Ramachandran was also selected as a National

Athlete(Olahragan Malaysia ). He is also the first recipient of the
Best award Olimpian Malaysia which was first introduced by the
Olympic Council of Malaysia. Overall, he won the Johor State
Athletes award 4 times, and is a prime example of the Johor State
Athlete award.

Throughout his career, he has represented the country in SEA

SPORTS 7, 5 ASIAN meet, WORLD championship once, once in
COMMONWEALTH. Ramachandran is the national record holder for
5000m and 10000m events while the SEA Games record holder for
the 5000m event to this day.

In 2000, he married and announced his retirement to make way for

young athletes to take his place but up to now there is no
replacement to him at the the national and international levels.

He has been blessed with a son and a daughter. His son R.

Vikneswaran. His daughter is R. Keertana. Respectively 10 and 7
years old. Ramachandran wife Pn.S.Chitra encourages him to
continue her career as a coach to train young athletes.

Hope and confidence is with Ramachandran that his daughter will

be a successful athlete like his father in the near future. Any
success achieved by Ramachandran is the support given by family
members and his employer MAYBANK. Without Maybank
Ramachandran certainly can not be successful at international
level.

His success lies in the hands of his persistence in training. He never

left the training in any situation. He always assumes the exercise as
real competition. He is assuming that the training as a religious
discipline in pursuit of a noble dream to emerge as the conqueror of
the long distance champion in Southeast Asia.
Success and excellence Ramachandran ended with the medal and
the glory of stars Mangku OF STATE (AMN) and SERVICE MEDAL
Medal (PJK).
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ORIGINAL IN MALAY
M.Ramachandran telah dilahirkan pada 9hb.April 1966 di Panchor,
Muar. Bapa beliau En.Murusamy A/L Thiruvengadam. Emak beliau
Pn.Muniammal a/p Sinnappa Reddy. Beliau merupakan anak ketujuh
daripada sembilan orang adik beradik. Beliau mendapat pendidikan
awal di Sekolah Rendah Kota Raja Panchor, Muar dan melanjutkan
pelajarannya di Sekolah Menengah Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah 1
Pagoh, Muar serta menamatkan alam persekolahannya di Maktab
Adabi Maharani Muar.

M.Ramachandran mempunyai sejarah tersendiri sebelum

mampu bergelar juara dan menjadi atlit Malaysia pertama mencatat
masa di bawah 30 minit dalam acara 10,000 meter.

Beliau sejak kecil menghidapi penyakit asma. Beliau tidak dapat

mengambil bahagian dalam sukan ketika beliau berumur 7 tahun.
Walaubagaimanapun beliau tidak menghiraukan penyakit tersebut
yang mengancam dan terus melatih dengan penuh gigih dan
akhirnya penyakit asma yang dihidapi bertahun-tahun telah terus
menyerah kalah dan hilang dengan sendirinya.

Segala-galanya berubah sewaktu beliau melanjutkan

pelajarannya di sekolah menengah di mana suatu hari ketika beliau
bermain bola sepak di padang Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan
Tamil Ladang Lanadron Panchor, seorang guru memerhatikannya
berlari ke hulu dan hilir mengejar bola. Guru itu bernama En.
Shahrom bin Suhaimi yang mengajar di sekolah menengah SARSI
Pagoh. En Shahrom bin Suhaimi meminta Ramachandran berhenti
bermain bola sepak dan menukar kepada olahraga. Di peringkat
permulaan , Ramachandran tidak begitu berminat tetapi di
atas paksaan maka beliau cuba memberi perhatian pada sukan
olahraga terutamanya acara 400m dan 800m.

Ketika berusia 15 tahun beliau mewakili pasukan rumahnya

dalam kejohanan sekolah di mana memenangi acara 800m. Sejak itu
beliau tidak lagi bermain bola sepak dan meneruskan kariernya
dalam acara 800m dan 1500m. Kejayaan beliau berterusan di
peringkat daerah dan negeri. Ramachandran meneruskan latihan
secara intensif di bawah bimbingan Encik Shahrom . Hasilnya, pada
usia 16 tahun Rama sudah mula menunjukkan kehebatannya dengan
memenangi 3 pingat emas di peringkat sekolah daerah, negeri
dengan memecahkan rekod.

Pada tahun 1985, Ramachandran telah memenangi 3 pingat emas

di peringkat MSSM dalam acara 1500m,5000m dan 3000m lari
berhalangan. Walaupun beliau adalah seorang juara di peringkat
sekolah tetapi beliau hanya dapat menduduki tempat ke-5 dalam
kejohanan olahraga kebangsaan. Semangat juang yang ada pada
diri Rama membolehkan beliau memperbaiki kedudukannya dari
tempat kelima kepada ketiga pada tahun berikutnya dalam
kejohanan yang sama. Kehebatan Rama bermula pada tahun 1987 di
mana di kejohanan olahraga kebangsaan beliau telah memenangi
pingat emas pertama di peringkat kebangsaan dalam acara 5000m.
Sejak itu, Rama hanya memberikan tumpuan pada 5000m dan
10000m hinggalah bersara pada tahun 2001. Beliau merupakan atlit
tunggal Negara mempertahankan gelaran juara kebangsaan selama
15 tahun bagi acara 5000m dan 10000m.

Ramachandran dipilih mewakili Negara ke kejohanan Olahraga

Jemputan Raja Thai di Bangkok dengan memenangi pingat gangsa
dalam kejohanan tersebut. Ini merupakan kejohanan pertama beliau
mewakili Negara dengan mencatatkan masa 15:06.95. Prestasi
Rama berterusan apabila beliau telah menjadi ahli kelab olahraga
SWIFT Singapura di mana beliau telah banyak memenangi
pertandingan di Singapura dan di sanalah beliau memecahkan
angka 15 minit dalam acara 5000m dengan mencatatkan masa
14:57.55 di kejohanan olahraga antara kelab-kelab Singapura.
 Setelah Ramachandran bekerja dengan Maybank pada tahun
1987, beliau berlatih di bawah jurulatih En. R.Jeganathan
sehinggalah bersara. Pada tahun 1988 di kejohanan Olahraga
SUKMA , Ramachandran telah memenangi 2 pingat emas dalam
masa yang sama beliau juga mencatatkan masa 14:38.61 dalam
acara 5000m di Sukan SEA yang merupakan rekod baru dipilih
mewakili Negara ke SUKAN SEA Kuala Lumpur. Di kejohanan
olahraga terbuka Selangor pada tahun 1989, Rama telah berjaya
memecahkan rekod kebangsaan acara 10000m dengan
mencatatkan masa 30:47.7. Di Sukan SEA, Ramachandran hanya
mampu memenangi 2 pingat perak sahaja. Beliaiu dipilih mewakili
Negara ke Kejohanan Padang dan Balapan ASIA di New Delhi, India
dan di sana beliau telah menduduki tempat ke 4 dengan
memecahkan rekod kebangsaan sekali lagi dengan masa 30;05.95.

Kehebatan Ramachandran bukan sahaja dalam acara trek tetapi

beliau juga telah menguasai acara lebuhraya seperti 10km dan
21km dalam Negara sejak tahun 1990 hinggalah 2001. Kejayaan
utamanya dalam lebuhraya ialah memenangi Larian Antarabangsa
Jambatan Terengganu sebanyak 4 kali.Beliau juga memenagi Larian
10km INDOSAT di Jakarta sebanyak 2 kali. Sekurang-kuranganya
lebih 100 larian lebuhraya di tanah air Ramachandran
memenanginya. Kejayaan yang dicapai di sepanjang tahun 1989
membolehkan Ramachandran dipilih sebagai Olahragawan Harapan
Negeri Johor pada tahun 1989.

Sejak tahun 1990 hinggalah 1992 prestasi Ramachandran

tidaklah begitu memberangsangkan walaupun berjaya memecahkan
rekod kebangsaan sebanyak 3 kali dalam acara 5000m. Di Sukan
SEA Manila Rama hanya mampu menduduki tempat ke-4 walaupun
di Kuala Lumpur memenangi pingat Perak. Ramachandran tidak
kenal erti putus asa di mana mulai tahun 1993 beliau dapat
mengembalikan kehebatannya dengan memenangi banyak
pertandingan .

Kecemerlangan Ramachandran pada tahun 1993 adalah

disebabkan oleh latihan yang dibuat di Melbourne, Australia selama
3 bulan (April-Jun 1992) di bawah bimbingan Ketua Jurulatih
Australia En Tony Benson yang pernah melahirkan pemenang
pingat emas sukan Olimpik. Di Australia, Ramachadran telah banyak
mempelajari teknik dan tektik larian . Hasilnya, beliau dapat
mengembalikan semula prestasinya yang hambar selama 3 tahun.

Bermulalah detik kecemerlangan di mana di Sukan SEA Singapura

1993 Ramachandran telah memenangi 2 pingat emas dengan
memecahkan rekod Kebangsaan dan Sukan SEA dengan
mencatatkan masa 14;08.97 (5000M) dan 30;05.09 (10000m) di
mana rekod 5000m Sukan SEA masih kekal sebagai rekod Sukan
SEA. Kejayaan Ramachandran di Singapura turut diraikan oleh
seluruh ahli keluarga terutamanya ibunya yang pertama kali datang
menyaksikan anaknya berlari walupun sudah lebih 10 tahun aktif
dalam sukan olahraga. Kejayaan Ramachandran di kota Singa itu
telah membolehkan beliau memenangi anugerah John Hancock.
Sejak Sukan SEA 1993, Ramachandran menguasai kedua-dua acara
itu sehingga tahun 1999 di mana secara keseluruhannya telah
mengumpul 8 pingat emas dan 2 pingat perak di temasya Sukan SEA
yang disertai. Beliau juga merupakan atlit pertama Negara
mempertahankan gelaran pelari jarak jauh terbaik di Asia Tenggara
selama 4 kali berturut-turut.

Ramachandran dipilih mewakili Negara ke Kejohanan Olahraga

Dunia di Stuttgart, Jerman di mana di sana beliau telah
memecahkan rekod kebangsaan acara 10000m dengan
mencatatkan masa 29:38.97. Beliau menjadi atlit pertama Negara
berlari 10000m di bawah 30minit. Selepas itu beliau mengambil
bahagian di Kejohanan Padang dan Balapan Asia di Manila di mana
beliaiu telah memenangi pingat perak dalam acara 10000m. Di
samping itu beliau juga telah memenangi banyak kejohanan
olahraga jemputan antarabangsa di sepanjang tahun 1993.

Pada tahun 1993 Ramachandran telah dipilih sebagai

Olahragawan Kebangsaan. Beliau juga merupakan penerima
pertama anugerah Olimpian Terbaik Malaysia yang pertama kali
diperkenalkan oleh Majlis Olimpik Malaysia. Secara
keseluruhannnya, beliau telah memenangi anugerah Olahragawan
Negeri Johor sebanyak 4 kali dan sekali anugerah Atlit Contoh
Negeri Johor.

Di sepanjang kariernya, beliau telah mewakili Negara dalam 7

SUKAN SEA, 5 kali Padang dan Balapan ASIA, sekali kejohanan
DUNIA, sekali SUKAN ASIA dan dua kali SUKAN KOMANWEL.
Ramachandran adalah pemegang rekod kebangsaan bagi acara
5000m dan 10000m manakala pemegang rekod Sukan SEA bagi
acara 5000m sehingga ke hari ini.

Pada tahun 2000, beliau telah mendirikan rumahtangga dan

mengumumkan persaraannya untuk memberi laluan kepada atlit
remaja mengambil alih tempatnya tetapi sehingga sekarang Negara
gagal mencari penggantinya di peringkat kebangsaan mahupun
antarabangsa.

Beliau telah dikurniakan seorang anak lelaki dan seorang anak

perempuan. Anak lelaki beliau R.Vikneswaran. Anak perempuan
beliau ialah R.Keertana. Masing-masing berumur 10 dan 7 tahun.
Isterinya Pn.S.Chitra turut menggalakkan Ramachandran untuk
meneruskan kariernya sebagai jurulatih untuk melatih atlit-atlit
remaja.

Harapan dan keyakinan Ramachandran adalah anak

perempuannya akan menjadi atlit berjaya seperti bapanya di masa
akan datang. Segala kejayaan yang dicapai oleh Ramachandran
adalah atas sokongan yang diberikan oleh ahli keluarga dan
majikannnya MAYBANK. Tanpa Maybank sudah pasti Ramachandran
tidak dapat mengecapi kejayaan di peringkat antarabangsa.

Rahsiah kejayaan beliau terletak di tangan kegigihan beliau

dalam menjalankan latihan. Beliau tidak pernah tinggalkan latihan
dalam apa keadaanpun. Beliau sentiasa mengganggap latihan itu
sebagai pertandingan sebenar. Beliau mengganggap latihan itu
sebagai ibadat yang mulia demi mengejar impiannya untuk muncul
sebagai penakluk acara jarah jauh di pentas Asia Tenggara.

Kejayaan dan kecemerlangan Ramachandran berakhir dengan

menerima pingat dan bintang kebesaran iaitu AHLI MANGKU
NEGARA (AMN) dan PINGAT JASA KEBAKTIAN (PJK).