India’s first Dronacharya awardee coach in boxing, O P Bhardwaj, died on Friday after battling extended sickness and age-related points right here. He was 82 and had tragically misplaced his spouse Santosh to ill-health about 10 days in the past.
Bhardwaj was bestowed the very best nationwide honour in teaching collectively with Bhalchandra Bhaskar Bhagwat (wrestling) and O M Nambiar (athletics), when it was launched in 1985. “He had been unwell for a lot of days with plenty of well being points and was hospitalised. Age was an element and there was additionally the shock of shedding his spouse about 10 days again,” T L Gupta, a close family friend and a former boxing coach, told PTI.
Bhardwaj was India’s national boxing coach from 1968 to 1989 and also served as a national selector. Under his tutelage, Indian pugilists won medals at the Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games and the South Asian Games. A pioneer in Indian boxing, he was the first chief instructor for the sport at the National Institute of Sports India in Patiala. “He started his career in the Army School of Physical Training in Pune and became an accomplished coach for Services. In 1975, when NIS came up with the proposal for coaching diplomas, in boxing, Mr Bhardwaj was picked to start the course,” Gupta stated.
In 2008, Bhardwaj had even taught some boxing strategies to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for a few months. “He was a dynamic man. I bear in mind, in these days, when there have been no computer systems and hardly anybody knew easy methods to kind, he purchased a typewriter from a visit to Russia,” Gupta said. “He would write letter after letter to authorities demanding better amenities for boxers at NIS using that typewriter. He typed with just one finger because he had no formal training in typing,” remembered Gupta, who retired as chief teacher from the NIS just a few years in the past. Former nationwide federation secretary normal Brigadier (Retd) PKM Raja, throughout whose tenure he was a nationwide selector, stated Bhardwaj was extremely revered for his contribution to the game.
“He was a providers legend. A very exceptional coach and in addition a really spectacular character. It is unlucky that within the final couple of years his a number of well being points restricted him significantly,” he said. Gupta also said that Bhardwaj had a fierce personality which often came to fore at any perceived ill-treatment of boxers.
“I remember, after the 1980 Asian boxing championship in the then Bombay, the team was coming back with two gold, five silver, and three bronze medals. Their accommodation on return to Patiala was not up to it,” he stated. “Mr Bhardwaj took it upon himself to struggle for it with the authorities and ensured that boxers bought higher lodging. He gave route to the game at the moment,” he added.
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