New Delhi, Apr 16 (PTI) Former Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Narayana Ramachandran died on Thursday in Chennai after a prolonged illness.
He was 77.
“He was not keeping well for the last few months and breathed his last today,” Squash Rackets Federation of India Secretary General Cyrus Poncha told PTI.
“It’s a big loss to the squash fraternity. I don’t have words … He was the president of the SRFI initially,” said Poncha.
Ramachandran’s family members said he passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones. His last rites will be held on Friday in Chennai.
Ramachandran served as IOA president from February 2014 to December 2017. He was also president of World Squash Federation from 2008–2016. He was also a former president of Tamil Nadu Olympic Association.
Brother of former BCCI president N Srinivasan, Ramachandran was elected as IOA President on February 9, 2014 when the country’s sports apex body was under suspension. Just few days after his election, the International Olympic Committee lifted the ban imposed on IOA in December 2022.
In 2016, Ramachandran was awarded the Olympic Order for his outstanding services to the Olympic movement by the then IOC chief Thomas Bach during the Rio Olympics.
Ramachandran had been associated with several sports organisations. He has held several positions of responsibility contributed hugely to the Olympic movement.
He was President of the Indian Triathlon Federation, and later the Secretary General of the Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI). He made Chennai the “Squash capital” of India.
In 2001, he was elected as the President of the Asian Squash Federation and was re-elected to this position in 2005.
Ramachandran was appointed as an Associate Vice President of the IOA in 2001 and elected a Vice-President in 2005.
In 2008, Ramachandran was elected as President of the World Squash Federation. In 2009, he was appointed as Patron of both the Asian Squash Federation and the Squash Rackets Federation of India. PTI PDS AM PDS ATK
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