From Terence Netto
I read practically all the articles on A Vaithilingam, the long serving sports official and community man, the release of whose biography “Vaithi: A Life of Service”, was the occasion for a spate of media tributes to the 91-year-old stalwart.
These encomiums were abundantly deserved.
They portrayed a man whose religious faith was clearly the wellspring of his work on behalf of all the causes he served out of love for them.
Perhaps because the writers of these tributes did not have the vantage I had – as a reporter I knew him from 1976 – they could not have known a feature that was not much remarked on but was significant by its presence, if only for its paucity among people of his ilk.
This was his generosity of spirit: he made sure, in his reports of the events and individuals he supervised, he praised where praise was deserved and credited where that was due, even if this was not disclosed to the recipients. These recipients came to know of this through secondary sources, and were pleasantly surprised when they did learn of it.
Unfortunately, this generosity of spirit was not the norm among Vaithi’s peers in the supervisory category.
Several talents did not obtain the recognition they deserved because of this dearth of spirit. Like unrequited love, few things are as sad as unrecognised talent.
Under Vaithi, a sports administrator and supervisor from the mid-1960s till age slowed him in his late seventies, virtually no talent that came within his purview suffered a dearth of mention.
In retrospect, it is easy to see the source of this generosity of spirit: his religious faith had a lot to do with it, as no doubt his indefatigable service to sport and community welfare were founded on it.
Truly, he demonstrated the truth of the biblical saying that the glory of God was man alive.
Sadly, I had a falling out with him almost 20 years ago when I took an impudent (he is almost a generation older to me) issue with him over a matter that had to do with an enthusiasm for a leader that I had acquired.
Vaithi admonished me against it but I was heedless. He knew something I didn’t. A strain resulted between us.
Suffice to say, he turned out to be right and I, wrong.
He said he held no hard feelings towards me. I tendered but he dismissed my tardy apology, inviting me to the launch of his biography which has become a valued possession among my collection.
His is a life of moral instruction for me and his biography a reminder of the value of gratuitous service to humanity.
Terence Netto is a senior journalist and an FMT reader.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
