Still a sprightly figure despite having turned 88 on March 22, Krishna Nathan Murugasu – better known as Mike Nathan or simply MK Nathan – unexpectedly died after a freak accident while gardening at his Taman Kanagapuram home in Jalan Kelang Lama, on Wednesday.
According to his eldest daughter Kavita, the coaching legend of school sports, accidentally cut his wrist and died from blood loss.
Nathan, who was a coach for six decades, was also a talented athlete in his youth.
Kavita recounted how Nathan was a fatherly figure to thousands of students and youth whom he had coached to excel in hockey, cricket and rugby, with some going on to represent their states and national teams.
“My father often told parents that every student had to indulge in a sport, no matter what game it was as it had an impact on their development and growth.”
Retired Selangor Schools Sports Council secretary A Vaithilingam paid tribute to Nathan as an active gentleman and renowned cricket coach, not just in Petaling Jaya but also in Selangor and the rest of the country.
“In the world of cricket, his memories will be cherished for he kept the sport alive for as long as he was able to do so. His passing is a great loss to cricket in Malaysia.
“The Sultan Abdul Samad School (or SAS in Section 13, Petaling Jaya) was fortunate to have one of the nation’s top coaches,” he said, adding that between the 1970s and ’80s, the school always came out tops in Selangor for cricket.
Former national cricketer N Suresh said Nathan had contributed immensely to the development of cricket in the country.
“He had produced players with passion and dedication. His achievement and determination in coaching, even at a ripe golden age, never stopped.
“Hats off, sir. We will miss you and your no-nonsense teaching and coaching.”
One of Nathan’s students at SAS, V Ravikumaran, praised Nathan for grooming him to play cricket at age 14 until he became a Selangor mainstay, and later a national player at the age of 23.
“It was an honour and privilege to have been trained by him.”
Nathan, who was from Taiping, Perak, was a chemistry graduate. He began his teaching profession at the Teacher’s Training College in Penang in 1957.
In 1965, Nathan won a University of Southampton scholarship in Britain, to teach science.
Upon his return, he was posted to Sekolah Datuk Abdul Razak in Tanjung Malim, Perak until 1969 where he married teacher Kamalathevi Alagaratnam.
Nathan then taught at SAS from 1970 to 1987, before he was promoted to the position of senior assistant at the Batu 3 Primary School in Klang for two years.
After retirement in 1989, Nathan was hired by Sri Kuala Lumpur School for 20 years to promote cricket among youth.
Nathan is survived by Kamalathevi and daughters Kavita, Navanita and Priyanka.
The funeral is on Saturday at his home (No 3, Jalan 18/16, Taman Kanagapuram), before the cortege leaves for the MBPJ crematorium in Kampung Tunku.