The 30-year-old then rushes to the Taiping esplanade to train vigorously under coach N Gunasageran for an hour or so.
But despite the tough life he leads, and the limited time he puts into training, Vimal’s dedication and discipline have made him the reigning 5,000m run champion in the country.
For the past two consecutive years, Vimal has come out first in the 5,000m event in the Malaysian Open Track and Field Championships, now known as the Cahya Mata Malaysian Open.
“I’m proud of him,” says Gunasegaran, 63. “Athletes normally train morning and evening but he only trains in the evening, and that too for a shorter period.
“He works in the hot sun and is already tired by the time he comes to the field. Sometimes he’s too tired and his training is delayed or aborted.
“Despite all this, he is the best in the country in the 5,000m and 21km runs. It’s a challenge for me to tailor-make his training programme but it has been worth it because of his grit and persistence.”
Gunasegaran recounted the time when 20 tonnes of palm fruits fell on Vimal’s feet.
“Fortunately, he was wearing boots and there was no fracture; but the swelling was serious. But he is a fighter, and he went on to win the Perak open about two weeks later.”
Vimal has won the 5,000m trophy in the Perak Open Track and Field Championships for five years consecutively.
He has also won the Federal Territories Open Track and Field Championships in the 5,000m since 2022, his latest win being in March this year. These two runs are part of the Cahya Mata super series of athletics.
Vimal has also won several half-marathons (21km) over the past few years, including the KL Standard Chartered Marathon in 2023. He emerged the best among Malaysian runners who participated in the Australia Gold Coast 21km run last month.
“I want to represent Malaysia and my next goal is to qualify for the Southeast Asia (SEA) Games so that I can,” Vimal said.
Vimal’s best time in the 5,000m, set in the June Malaysia open championships, is 15 minutes 32 seconds. The SEA Games qualifying time is 14:46.
Vimal, a school dropout, did not start out as a runner; he was into football, playing for amateur clubs in Taiping.
“While playing, I was injured in 2016. Many of the games were played on the esplanade and I had seen coach (Gunasegaran) training some boys, so I approached him to coach me in running and I have been with him since.
“When I started, I lost in all the races. I was angry with myself for losing and began pushing myself hard. In 2019, I emerged first in the Perak All Comers Athletics Meet in Teluk Intan and that boosted my confidence,” Vimal said.
Gunasegaran, who coaches free of charge, said Vimal had the potential to shine in athletics for the country.
“If someone can sponsor him so that he does not have to work, I can train him both morning and evening. Then he will go far, I’m sure of that,” the former national track and field coach said.
Gunasegaran, a human resources consultant, and his brother N Tamilselvan paid for Vimal’s recent trip to participate in Australia.
“We have been using our savings to buy food supplements and take the athletes to participate in runs over the years but our funds are limited,” said Gunasegaran who now coaches about 20 aspiring athletes of all races at the esplanade and the Taiping Lake Gardens daily on weekdays.
“Most of my trainees are Malays, with some Indians and Chinese. Our major problem is funding. We need funds for taking part in competitions, for drinks and food supplements. I hope someone can help us.”
Earlier this year, a woman who had seen Gunasegaran train the runners approached him to also train her special needs child. Today, four special needs students train under him.
“One of them is Fatin Najihan Razlan, a Form Three student. She has great potential, having won top spot in the 100m, 200m and 4X400m in the Larut, Matang and Selama district athletics meet for special children.
“I’m now preparing her and three others – Nurrifa Rifqah Ahmad Balya, Mohamad Shahrul Nizam Ahmad and Mohamad Zulfazley Hassan – for the state level special children’s athletics meet in Ipoh from Aug 26-28,” said Gunasegaran who has been training athletes since 1989 when he was a prisons’ warder.
Both Nurrifa and Shahrul show potential in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m and the javelin throw while Zulfazley is strong in 400m, 800m and 1500m.
Gunasegaran said: “Over the years, I have trained several athletes, including R Shanti who won a gold medal in the 1991 SEA Games and a bronze in the Asian Games in Japan in 1992. In 1991, I was a national coach for the Asian track and field meet.”
Gunasegaran quit the prisons service in 1993 to join the private sector. In 2015, however, he quit his full-time job to become a consultant to free up his time to train athletes as he was concerned about the decline in the performance of Malaysian athletes.
Asked why he was spending his time and money training young athletes, Gunasegaran said: “It’s my passion. I want to see them grow, not just in athletics but in life. I have helped six athletes get a place in university and others get jobs because of their sports abilities.”
The writer can be contacted at [email protected].