SS Dhillion
IHF-SG Excellence Sports Award Sports For Officials
Like most Indians of the past, Dhillon’s grandfather, Mahee Singh Dhillon, was recruited in Lahore, Punjab, India and brought to Perak, Malaysia by Captain Speedy to help end the Chinese gang-fights. Dhillon’s father was born in Perak, Malaya in 1892, worked as a clerk in the District Office, Larut and Matang, Perak, Malaya and retired as chief clerk in the PWD, Taiping, Perak. Many Dhillons still live and work in Malaysia.
Dhillon himself was born in Lumut, Perak, Malaysia in 1931, which today makes him close to 90! After his secondary education in Malaya and disruptions of the 2nd World War, Dhillon came to Singapore and studied in the Teachers’ Training College from 1952 — 1955. Ten years later he upgraded himself by going to Loughborough College, England and secured a Diploma in Physical Education in 1965, with a Hon. BSc.
20 years later he earned his Master of Sport Science and Sport Management 1986 (MSc) from the United States Sports Academy.
Dhillon’s contributions to Education and Sports in Singapore are second to none. He was a Teacher in Primary & Secondary Schools from 1952 to 1965. Then a Physical Education Inspector, in the Ministry of Education, from Aug 1966 to 8 Feb 1982.
He “retired” from Ministry of Education, in 1982 as Senior Education Officer, Division | to start work with the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) where he was Secretary General, from 1971 — 1996. The longest serving Secretary General to date.
While in the SNOC, Dhillon was Hon. Secretary: South East Asian Peninsular Games Federation 1971 — 1973, Hon. Secretary: South East Asia Games Federation 1981 — 1983, Hon. Secretary: South East Asia Games Federation 1991 — 1993. More significantly, he was the Organising Secretary of the 1973 SEAP Games, the 1983 SEA Games and the 1993 SEA Games, when Singapore hosted these 3 Games.
Dhillon’s induction into the Indians Hall of Fame, Singapore is totally deserving, considering the various awards he has accumulated over the years.
The Singapore Public Service Medal 1976; United States Sports Academy’s The Order of The Eagle Award; Distinguished Service Award; and Distinguished Alumnus Award; Olympic Council of Asia Merit Award 1994; and the Association of National Olympic Committees’ Merit Award 1996.
We must not forget the subtle efforts made by Dhillon to be friends with our neighbour through Sports. For 30 years Dhillon worked in close cooperation with the Olympic Council of Malaysia, and in 1990s together with Tun Sri Ahmad Sarji, President, Bowls Malaysia, helped in the promotion of Bowls in South East Asia countries and also got the sport in the SEA Games series. Dhillon was also responsible for convincing the Olympic Council of Asia to include Sepak Takraw in the Asian Games Series.