Madhavan Nambiar

O. M. Nambiar was an athletics coach best known as the guiding hand behind P. T. Usha, India’s “Golden Girl” of the track. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2021 in the field of sports, from Kerala ^[1].

From the Air Force

Nambiar was born on 15 February 1936 and was an athletics champion at Guruvayurappan College in Kozhikode ^[2]. In 1955 he was selected for the Indian Air Force at a recruitment camp in Tambaram, and served for fifteen years ^[2]. He won the services decathlon title three years running and coached the services team, retiring as a sergeant in 1970 ^[2].

Coach

After earning a coaching diploma from the National Institute of Sports, Patiala, in 1968, he joined the Kerala Sports Council as a coach in 1970 ^[2]. He coached the Indian team from 1981 to 1990, and was coach and manager at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane ^[2]. He travelled with Indian teams to the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, the Seoul Asian Games in 1986, the World Championships in Rome in 1987 and the Seoul Olympics in 1988 ^[2].

Besides Usha, who won more international medals than any other Indian sportsperson, he trained athletes such as Shiny Abraham, Vandana Rao, Vandana Shanbhag and Mercy Kuttan ^[2]. After joining the Sports Authority of India in 1990 he guided Beena Augustine and others ^[2].

In 1985 he was among the first recipients of the Dronacharya Award, and the same year he was named best Asian coach ^[2]. After retiring he kept training athletes near his home and gave his own land for a volleyball court, a library and homes for needy neighbours ^[2].

Nambiar died on 19 August 2021, aged 89, months after the award was announced ^[3]. The award was presented posthumously ^[2].