Om Nambiar: Legendary athlete PT Usha’s coach Om Nambiar passes away More sports news – Times of India

Kozhikode: Renowned athletics coach Om Nambiar, who nurtured one of India’s greatest track and field stars P T Usha, died on Thursday due to age-related illness. He was 89 years old.
Nambiar is survived by his wife Leela, three sons and a daughter. He breathed his last at his residence in the coastal town of Vadakara in Kozhikode district.
One of the first Dronacharya awardees and this year’s Padma Shri The award winner was admitted to the hospital about a week ago, after which he was brought back home.
Usha said that Nambiar, who is suffering from Parkinson’s disease, had suffered a heart attack 10 days ago.
He called it a huge personal loss.
“It’s a huge loss for me. He was like a father figure to me and if he wasn’t there my achievements would not have been there. I only met him last week after Neeraj (Chopra) won gold at the Olympics. He can understand Was that what I was telling him but he was unable to speak.”

A former Air Force man, Nambiar has transformed many young talents into international athletes during his stint as a renowned coach, including the great Usha, who at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics by a hundredth of a second. Missed out on bronze medal.
Usha had maintained a close relationship with her coach and had visited Chopra last week to inform him about the javelin thrower’s historic gold medal in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics.

Apart from Usha, some of the international medal-winning athletes she has coached include Shiney Wilson (a four-time Olympian and 800m gold winner at the 1985 Asia Championships) and Vandana Rao.
Birth transgender In 1932, Nambiar was a prolific athlete during his college days at Guruvayurappan College, Kozhikode.
He joined the armed forces on the advice of his college principal and continued his career in athletics.
He served the Indian Air Force for 15 years and retired as a Havildar in 1970. He completed his coaching diploma from National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala and started training service athletes.
Speaking to PTI from his home in Kozhikode after being selected for the Padma Shri, Nambiar said, “I am very happy for this award, although it could have been many years back. Still I am happy. Already. It’s too late.”
Usha was awarded the Padma Shri in 1985, while Nambiar, who presented Dronacharya that year, had to wait another 36 years before receiving the country’s fourth highest civilian honour.
The man who molded Usha into one of India’s finest athletes during his mentorship from 1977 to 1990 said he couldn’t stop crying after being with Usha for that race in Los Angeles.
He obtained a coaching diploma from NIS-Patiala in 1968 and joined the Kerala Sports Council in 1971. He was tasked with finding talented athletes in the state.
She came under Nambiar’s tutelage in 1977 when Usha won a race in the selection test of a sports school in Kannur.
Nambiar also groomed Usha for the 400m hurdles in 1984. She had previously been a 100m, 200m and 400m runner.
Usha also won four gold medals at the 1986 Asian Games (200m, 400m, 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay) under Nambiar’s tutelage.