India's seasoned sports administrator Suresh Kalmadi passes away
Pune, January 6
India's seasoned sports administrator and former president of the Indian Olympic Association, Suresh Kalmadi, passed away in Pune on January 6. Kalmadi, who was 81, is survived by his wife Meera Kalmadi, daughters and son. The last rites were held at Pune's Vaikunth Crematorium today, as per a press release from the IOA.
He was a towering figure in Indian sports administration, having served not only as the president of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) but also as the president of the Asian Athletics Association. He was also president of the Indian Olympic Association for more than a decade.
Former minister revolutionised Indian sports in general and athletics in particular during his long tenure as president of the IOA.
"His (Kalmadi) contribution to Indian sports will be remembered for a long time. He revived the National Games which helped build modern infrastructure across the country," Lalit Bhanot, former secretary of AFI, said. "He introduced prize money track-and-field permit meets in the early 1990s and invited elite foreign athletes, including Olympic champions like Carl Lewis and Mike Powell, which changed the concept of sports in the country."
Kalmadi was president of the Indian athletics body from 1987 to 2006 and also served as member council of World Athletics. He was chief of the Asian athletics body for nearly a decade starting 2000.
As the president of the IOA (1996 to 2012), Kalmadi was instrumental in organising Afro-Asian Games in Andhra Pradesh. A former union minister, he was also chairman of the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games organising committee.
"He will always be remembered as a dedicated and inspirational sports administrator whose unwavering commitment to the cause of the Indian athletics has left an indelible mark," Bahadur Singh Sagoo, president AFI said. "He also made efforts to initiate Railway travel concessions for sportspersons."
— ANI
Reader Comments
Om Shanti. Whatever the controversies, his tenure saw a real push for athletics in India. Getting athletes like Carl Lewis to compete here was huge for inspiration. He connected Indian sports to the world stage.
The railway travel concession for sportspersons is something that genuinely helped thousands of athletes from small towns. That's a tangible, positive impact that lasted. 🙏
Reading this from a sports management perspective, his long tenure at the helm of multiple bodies shows how centralized sports administration was. His passing marks the end of an era, for better or worse.
A true giant in sports administration. The National Games revival and the infrastructure built across states is a lasting legacy. We should acknowledge the good work alongside the flaws. Deepest condolences to the family.
His contribution to Asian athletics is often overlooked. Serving as the chief of the Asian athletics body for a decade brought a lot of focus to the region. A full life, indeed. Om Shanti.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.