By Adrian David | New Straits Times | Malaysia |
During the Japanese Occupation, Durbara Singh sold ice to the coffee shops in Jalan Penang on the island city. He later became the founding headmaster at Sultan Ismail Primary School in Kota Baru, Kelantan in 1956 for 14 years.
More strikingly Durbara, who died in 2003, carved a niche not only for himself as a national tennis official, but also groomed five of his seven children – sons Jaswant Singh, Lt Col (Rtd) Charanjit Singh, Kuldip Singh and retired police deputy superintendent Suvinder Singh, and daughter Hermeet Kaur – to each win a national junior tennis title.
They also represented Kelantan, Penang, Kedah, Negri Sembilan, Armed Forces and the police in tennis during their younger years. Four of them – Charanjit, Kuldip, Suvinder and Hermeet – went on to represent the country.
Durbara’s other children are daughters Inderjit Kaur and Harjit Kaur.
Recounting his father’s earlier days, former teacher and tennis coach Kuldip, 67, told the New Straits Times of interesting episodes in Durbara’s life.
“The World War II survivor grew up sharing his younger days in Georgetown, Penang with a Japanese boy who became his best friend.
“However, just before the war broke out, my father’s friend ‘disappeared’, only to resurface as a Japanese Imperial Army officer when Malaya was invaded and occupied. My father was so shocked of an encounter with his Japanese friend, who gave him a salute and introduced himself very sternly.
“Father never saw his friend again but realised that the Japanese soldiers were kinder to him, owing to the bondage they shared when young,” said Kuldip in conjunction with Father’s Day, at his home in Ara Damansara, Selangor.
Kuldip said after the war ended in 1945, Durbara did temporary jobs with the British Administration until he became a teacher in 1951 in Kota Baru.
“He was earlier doing odd jobs after finishing his Senior Cambridge at St Xavier’s Institution, Penang in 1937, before the war interrupted his life,” said Kuldip.
In 2004, Durbara was posthumously awarded by the National Sports Council for ‘excellence services rendered in tennis’ – the first official to be recognised in the sport.
Kuldip was a national Under-15 and Under-18 singles and doubles champion in 1970 and 1973, respectively, and represented Malaysia in the England Junior Circuit in 1972. Later on, he was national singles runner-up in 1979 and national doubles champion in 1979, 1980 and 1981. Kuldip has represented Malaysia in tennis from 1971 to 1981, including the 1981 Sea Games.
See the full story, ‘Remembering teaching legend Durbara Singh on Father’s Day’ (New Straits Times, 19 June 2022), here.
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