About Me- Written By A Dear Friend(Edited)

My Beautiful Family

The towering figure of K.Enbaraj(seated 3rd from the left) used to be the dominant figure in the defense of Malaysian hockey from the late 80s to the early 90s. This 6-footer started sporting life as an athlete and till today, well over 35 years later, his 400 meters record in Malacca High School(MHS) still remains unbroken. He was in MHS just for his 6th form and the school where he came in contact with hockey was St Francis Institution(SFI).

At SFI he was trained in hockey by a non-hockey playing coach Mr.Durairaj.Apparently, this teacher was so advanced in his techniques then that he trained the boys to run with the ball using the reverse stick. Today as Enbaraj watches the various hockey games he sees this style commonly used and it brings memories back to 40 years especially of Mr. Durairaj's vision of the game.

Enbaraj, like most of us, has certain peculiarities and in his case, he used to be the "live wire" of the team. A person who spontaneously gives nicknames to his colleagues like "Boss" for Mirnawan.In the case of "Boss" it has stuck on and somehow it personifies Mirnawan. As much as Enbaraj takes the mickey on his teammates, they too have given him back and to many, he is known as "Unta" or "Camel".It is probably his height, movement, and the ability to carry a sufficient store of liquid that may have prompted such a nickname.

"Unta" is a true "Gandhian" in spirit, of course barring the amber liquid. He gets emotional when he sees people being ill or mistreated including being undermined. He tries in his own ways to change things and usually finds resistance in the initial period. With time and sufficient experience from the setbacks, he finds people tend to appreciate and understand his point of view. Something he puts down to everyone's "learning curve".

Used to be living in glamour as one of the finest fullbacks in the world with the best consistent flat hits for short corners. All this came to an abrupt end when the Malaysian hockey contingent broke camp just 2 weeks before the 1992 Barcelona Olympic."Unta" returned home and in helping his friends move a large glass sheet, it broke on its weight which resulted in Enbaraj having a severe injury to his leg. His muscles and ligaments were severely damaged and he literally bade farewell to his Olympic dreams. This also meant that he had to come in term that hockey was history for him. Something that devastated him as he painstakingly tried to return and it was near impossible. He even had a knee surgery in the hope it would help him but all that only added further frustration to his life.

After a short stint with Yayasan Negeri Sembilan in 1995-96, The "Camel" faded away in oblivion. The humorous Enbaraj was suffering from severe arthritis and the debilitating illness nearly crippled him. The years of suffering took a toll on him and this in a way changed his outlook to life. His philosophical approach of "mind over matter" aided and abetted his struggle to contain the effect of his illness. This forced him to change his lifestyle.

This trial and tribulation he has undergone in his life post-1992, in a way have given Enbaraj a better understanding of people. He believes that everything is time proportional and there are no short term remedies particularly if people used to certain ways. Change cannot be forced on rather it must be a process encompassing all the necessary elements if there is to be a success. Ultimately it must be a self-regulating process and this has to be started with the young.


Thank You.