Jayamani, K

Jayamani Kandasamy (b. 1955), a five-time Southeast Asia (SEA) Games gold medallist, still holds national records for the women’s 1500 and 3000 metres, after setting them in 1982. She was honoured as Singapore’s Sportswoman of the Year twice in the 1970s and earned the nickname “Queen of long-distance running". Born in Singapore, Jayamani began showcasing her athletic talents while studying at Dunearn Secondary School. In 1971, she represented her school in the New Nation Big Walk and emerged victorious in the schools' section. Maurice Nicholas, the coach of a local sports club, recognised her talent and became her mentor. Under his guidance, she commenced long-distance running, training primarily at the Farrer Park Stadium tracks. Subsequently, Jayamani further honed her skills under the tutelage of various coaches, including C Kunalan and K L Venugopalan. In 1976, Jayamani made her running debut at the Indonesian Open. Simultaneously, she took on the role of a lift attendant at the Port of Singapore Authority, balancing her professional responsibilities with active participation in competitions. In 1979, she moved to the Asian Athletics Association, assuming an administrative role that provided increased support for her athletic endeavours. By 1988, she was working as a clerk with Singapore Newspaper Services.

In addition to her gold medals at the Southeast Asia Peninsular (SEAP) Games in 1977 and 1979, in 1982, while competing in Germany, she set national records for the 1500 metres (4:31.2) and 3000 metres (9:56.6). During the 1983 SEA Games, she secured a gold medal in the marathon. In 1980, Jayamani was preparing to represent Singapore in the 3000 metres at the Moscow Olympics. However, her aspirations were thwarted when Singapore joined the United States-led boycott of the Olympics, a collective protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Reflecting on the turn of events, Jayamani said, “I don't have many regrets in life, but that was one of them.” Following her retirement from competitive running in 1992, Jayamani embarked on a coaching journey, starting with the Singapore Athletics Association. Subsequently, she continued her coaching endeavours independently, serving as a track instructor in various schools. In 2008, she became a full-time caretaker for a boy with autism, ceasing her coaching activities. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Jayamani was inducted into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame in 2019.



For more information
“Jayamani returns with 3 golds.” New Nation, 11 July 1978, 18. (From Newspaper SG)
“Jaya: A worthy experience.” New Nation, 9 April 1980, 16. (From Newspaper SG)
“6 athletes, 4 officials get IAAF awards.” The Straits Times : Weekly Overseas Edition, 2 January 1988, 23. (From Newspaper SG)
Kandasamy Jayamani.” Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame. Accessed 1 August 2025. https://www.swhf.sg/profiles/kandasamy-jayamani/
Chua Siang Yee. “Atheletics: In pursuit of those Glory days,” The Straits Times, 10 May 2015. https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/athletics-in-pursuit-of-those-glory-days
BiblioAsia. BiblioAsia, vol. 11, no. 2 (Jul–Sep 2015). https://biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg/files/pdf/BiblioAsia%20Jul-Sep%202015.pdf
“S’porean ladies are OG sprint queens who held national gold records for more than 3 decades.” Mothership, 31 March 2019. https://mothership.sg/2019/03/glory-barnabas-k-jayamani-singaporean-runners/

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The information in this article is valid as of August 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit here.