RIP MR LIM KIA TONG (1952–2022)

The name card of Mr Lim Kia Tong

Just only days ago before his demise in 2022, I received this from him at a book launch at JBS.

And he said these words to me:"I heard you been writing a lot on Singapore football." before he handed me his name card, as shown.

That was only the second time I had met Mr Lim Kia Tong face-to-face, despite snapping him from a distance ever since his rise to prominence in local football.

He took over the presidency of the Football Association of Singapore in 2017 when his team won the election after FAS held its first election in decades.

I will not touch on what he did for the game of football in Singapore, as plenty of articles out there have already documented that.

Mr Lim addressing the media in 2017

However, before I conclude this short post, I thought it would be a good idea to share how and when I first met Mr Lim.

It was in a boardroom at the old National Stadium during the early 2000s, if I remember correctly — where we both sat on a panel to select nominees for a year-end award.

It was during that lively discussion that I had my first (and only) taste of Mr Lim's aura as a lawyer. As the chairperson, he put me on the spot to justify my choice of candidates, leaving me temporarily at a loss for words.

Even though it lasted only a few minutes, that brief exchange was so deeply etched in my mind that I still remember it vividly.

Thank you for your service to Singapore football, Mr Lim. May you rest in peace.

P.S.: I decided to come up with this short post after I came across a posting on Mr Lim by "Death Kopitiam Singapore" on the eve of his death anniversary.