Ong had for decades laid the foundation for many promising talents to excel in track, jumps and throws at state, national and international levels.

He died on Tuesday after a long illness at the age of 70.

Ong was to have been honoured on July 9 for his enormous contribution to athletics along with 20 decorated Perak track and field athletes, coaches and officials.

Danny Sritharan, the organising chairman of “A celebration of Perak track and field legends”, said Ong would be honoured posthumously at the event.

He said Ong lived the concept that coaches not only prepared athletes for their sport but through sport for their lives.

“The joy he sought was to train youngsters and to maximise their potential and enjoy doing so at the same time,” said Sritharan.

He said Ong was never in the limelight despite grooming the likes of Sea Games high jump gold medallist Lou Cwee Peng and top 1980s sprinter Ng Kwai Lan.

“He was not in athletics for the money. He simply loved his athletes whom he referred to as his kids,” said Sritharan, a former Perak sprinter who is now spearheading children’s athletics movement Young Talent Track & Field.

Sritharan said the presence of many athletes at Ong’s funeral was testimony to the success on and off the track of the personable and popular coach.

He recalled an incident at the end of Kem Bakat (talent camp) in the 1980s when Ong cried mid-way through a song he was singing because the parting made him sad.

“Ong could never accept being away from his young athletes whom he treated as his own,” said Sritharan.

Sritharan’s wife, Phan Yoke Chun, a sprinter who shone at inter-bank meets in the 1980s, said: “Ong made everyone under his guidance better through his passion for the sport.

“That gained him huge respect from the kids, and over the years they had a special relationship with Ong.”

Pang said Ong enabled many athletes to gather wonderful memories that ranged from podium finishes to training in tin mining areas.

Another of Ong’s athletes, Wendy Lee Yim Seong, said he epitomised the characteristics of a modest, responsible and selfless man.

“Because of him, I was relevant as an athlete. Because of him, I was able to attend several Kem Bakat. And because of him, I was given the opportunity to form strong friendships with some of the athletes who have now become my friends for life,” said Lee.

She said Ong came into her life after she ran a lacklustre 200m heat at a district-level school meet when she was 12 years old.

“He felt that I could have run faster and volunteered pointers on how to do so. Due to him, I won the final and went on to represent Perak at the national schools championships,” Lee said.

She said Ong’s trainees included the golden boys and golden girls of athletics, “Perak’s best sprinters at that time”.

“He never gave up on us, but instead, had our best interest at heart and devised ways to try to turn us into better runners.”

Ong is survived by his wife Chan Yeen Mai, daughter Francisca and son Franceso.