SURESH BABU AWARD
PRESENTED TO P.J VINOD
The award instituted
in the memory of Olympian Suresh Babu by the Nectar Sports Trust was presented
to decathlete P.J. Vinod at a function held at the KSSC hall on Friday.22nd
February,2013.The award of a cash prize of Rs. 50,000 and a plaque was
presented to the champion athlete by the KSSC President, Padmini Thomas, who in
her address later, recalled the contributions of Suresh Babu to Indian and
Kerala athletics through his career as an athlete and coach spanning well over
four decades.In his memorial reference, Palode Ravi, MLA, called for
decentralisation of the sports sector and enactment of suitable laws to enable
people from all walks of life to take part in the promotion of sports and games
effectively. 'Now sport is beyond the reach of the common man, as the decision-making
process is entirely in the hands of either the bureaucracy or a select few.'For
sports to flourish in India and to ensure that the wholesale contributions made
by Suresh Babu through his glittering career is not laid waste, it is essential
that the Government should step in and make laws to ensure that all matters
relating to sporting activities including decision making is transferred to the
public at large, ' he said.
The NST president,
M.N.C. Nair presided. The KSSC secretary, P.S. Abdul Rassak, LNCPE principal,
G. Kishore, the Additional Director (Sports and Youth Affairs) S. Najimuddin
and former athlete and Suresh Babu’s young brother, M.B. Sathyanandan were
among others who spoke.Receiving the award, Vinod exuded happiness for being selected
for honour in the memory of his coach and mentor, whom he said was always a
source of inspiration not only to himself but to the entire athletic fraternity
across the country.A website (www.olympNUureshbabu.com) highlighting the career
of Suresh Babu and his achievements has already been launched by his family.
Suresh Babu passed away on February 18, 2011 while being away in Ranchi as
chef-de-mission of the Kerala contingent at the 34th National Games.
Prof. John Kurakar
No comments:
Post a Comment