Ng Liang Chiang

Athletics career

Born the eldest of 12 children to a lift-fitter, Ng studied at Serangoon English School. He took up athletics in 1934 but did not have formal training, learning only from books.

Ng returned to the track after the Japanese occupation. In May 1948, he was chosen to represent Malayan Chinese at the China National Meet for local and overseas Chinese athletes in Shanghai, where he set new China national record times of 16.0 s and 57.9 s in the 110-meter and 400-meter hurdles respectively. Ng's records led to his selection to represent the Republic of China in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. He was not selected for Singapore as they were only affiliated to the International Olympic Committee in late August and his name had been submitted by China.

Along with close rival Lloyd Valberg, Ng was one of two athletes from Singapore selected to represent Malaya at their first British Empire Games in Auckland. He was eliminated from the 400-meter hurdles heats following similar issues at the London Olympics.

The highlight of Ng's career came when he was selected in the Singapore contingent for the inaugural Asian Games in New Delhi. On 10 March 1951, he won Singapore's first medal in athletics when he came in third in the 400-meter hurdles. He followed the medal with a win in the 110-meter hurdles in a time of 15.2 s to clinch one of Singapore's five medals at the Games.

In May 1951, Ng shaved 0.4 s off Valberg's Malayan record and improved on his Asian Games time with 15.1 s in the 110-meter hurdles. He was ineligible for the 1952 Summer Olympics as he had represented China at the previous Olympics.

In December 1972, Ng joined the national coaching set-up, mentoring the national hurdlers, including 1967 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games gold medalist Heather Merican, for the 1973 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games, which Singapore hosted.

Personal life

Ng married fellow athlete Lim Sian Heng in 1960. The couple have four sons – Christopher, Andrew, Thomas, Augustine.

Ng died of throat cancer on 5 September 1992.