In the passing of N. Ramachandran, former President of Indian Olympic Association (IOA), former President of World Squash Federation (WSF), and patron of the Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI), sports in India and squash in particular, has lost a ‘father figure’. Such has been the impact of this ace administrator on the sports scene in the country. His stupendous role in uplifting squash from a club preserve to a medal winning sport in the country, is well known. Indian players have proved this to the hilt with medals in the Asian and Commonwealth Games as also the world championships. ‘Rami’ or ‘NR’ as Narayanaswami Ramachandran was fondly known, would inspire, help those in need and always have comforting words during difficult moments – all of which made him a “grand wall to lean on and look back with assurance” in the sports arena, as one leading official put it.
Ramachandran’s tryst with squash began at the MCC courts early in his life where he would spend time sweating it out. “Climbing down the ladder to the squash pit”, as he would say in those early phases of using the squash facility in the Club, perhaps left a lasting impression! To take the sport from the pit to the heights enjoyed by other sports – became a mission for him and thus was born the desire for an academy for the planned growth of squash. Getting into the state body – the Tamil Nadu Squash Rackets Association was the first step and later, in the 1990s began his quest for realising his dream project of an Academy for squash. Being a leading industrialist helped; through negotiations and discussions with the State government and the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, a site was fixed and by the turn of the millennium, the Indian Squash Academy had become a reality.
N. Ramachandran, Picture Courtesy: The Hindu.
As establishing a world class facility was his aim, he was on the look out for a suitable coach. He was able to convince the leading Malaysian coach, Maj. S. Maniam to lead the team and also brought in Cyrus Poncha, who was coaching children in the clubs in Mumbai, to Chennai. The team was formed and the rest, as they say, is history. Maj. Maniam, ably assisted by Poncha and others, laid out a well designed programme to build up talent. In time it yielded results, and before long Saurav Ghosal, Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal (now Karthik) emerged as super talents, to soon become the leading lights of Indian squash. Such was NR’s involvement in the activities of the Academy that he ensured that nothing was wanting there, including funds. Major championships were brought to India and that brought in leading players of the world. All in all, the Indian Squash Academy (ISA) had become a beehive of activity even as it earned a name for itself not just nationally but internationally as well.
Meanwhile NR himself rose up in the squash ranks – from the national body to lead the Asian Federation, and by 2008 had come to the World Squash Federation as its President, the first Indian to lead an IOC-recognised international federation. He served as WSF President for two terms until 2016. Soon thereafter he was to become WSF’s first honorary life member. In the world body, he had the opportunity to meet several leading officials, but it was his meeting with Dr Jacques Rogge, the then IOC President, that he cherished the most. It was through NR’s major efforts that squash had entered the Asian Games programme. He next tried his best to boost squash in Olympic circles, investing a lot of time and effort, but that unfortunately did not fructify immediately though it set the tone for his successors in the Federation to take forward. The historic moment is soon to come when squash will make its official Olympic debut at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. For all his outstanding efforts, NR was honoured with the Olympic Order (Silver) from the IOC and an OCA award of Merit from the Olympic Council of Asia.
Besides being responsible for the upliftment of squash, its players and the rewards that came with medal-winning performances in various international arenas, NR also had a role in the grooming of officials, in particular the referees. For K Srikanth Seshadri, who had in the early days of the Academy been just a visitor bringing his son to the facility, the transformation that ISA brought about was extraordinary. He took to refereeing by chance, thanks to his inquisitive mind, learning the nuances of the rules and regulations in the sport. His rise from there was meteoric. Today he is the only Indian level 4 World Squash Officiating Referee. “Whatever I am today is all because of Mr Ramachandran and SRFI,” says Seshadri while paying his respects to the man whom he calls his “Godfather”.
NR’s passing on 16 April 2026 (he was 77) has left a huge vacuum, but his rich legacy is bound to inspire generations and may be one day, his two unfulfilled dreams – of an individual world champion and an Olympic medallist from the ISA – would be realised to add more richness to his remembrance.