PT Usha’s coach and and guiding light passes away

When PT Usha initially spotted OM Nambiar, the retired air force based sergeant-turned-mentor was wearing a cap and a coat while exploring for ability at a sub-junior meet. PT Usha reviews OM Nambiar clearly from that day since he was the lone individual wearing a suit.

The association between the mentor and the competitor would become quite possibly the best in Indian Olympic style sports history, taking her to the cusp of an Olympic platform finish, while printing gold medals in Asia.

On Thursday, OM Nambiar, passed away at his home because of old enough related sickness. However, his inheritance will live on as the mentor who prepared Usha into one of the unsurpassed greats.

“The passing of my guru, my coach, my guiding light is going to leave a void that can never be filled. Words cannot express his contribution to my life. Anguished by the grief. Will miss you OM Nambiar sir. RIP,” PT Usha wrote on social media.

Discussing her initial days with Nambiar, Usha said on Thursday that she was first seen by him since she could finish every one of the warm-up drills precisely as he illustrated.

“He was a stickler for discipline. He closely watched how students were doing their warm ups. I made it a point to follow everything he said. Whoever did the warm-up drills the best would get a toffee. I am the one who got the most toffees,” she added.

The last time Usha visited her mentor was on August 8, the day after Neeraj Chopra won the noteworthy gold in the lance toss at the Olympics.

“He had been in hospital recently. So he was sedated and could not talk. But he opened his eyes and looked at me. I think he recognized me,” she said.

Brought into the world in Kannur in 1932, Nambiar joined the military and kept on pursuing games. He retired from the air forces in the mid 1970s, completed his certificate from the National Institute of Sports in Patiala and joined the Kerala Sports Council.

He was one of the three beneficiaries of the principal Dronacharya Award in 1985. Notwithstanding, it was just recently that he was deliberated with the Padma Shri.