TT loses a legend and brave fighter
The Indian table tennis fraternity on Wednesday expressed shock and sorrow at the demise of Arjuna awardee V. Chandrasekhar. Chandra, as he was fondly called, passed away due to Covid19-related complications here on Wednesday. He was
63 and is survived by his wife and son.
A three-time national champion, Chandra was a stylish player with a huge fan following during his playing days. As a coach, Chandra played a key role in grooming champions such as S. Raman and G. Sathiyan. His academy in Chennai has produced many a quality player.
Sathiyan, who trained under Chandra for 14 years, said his demise felt like a personal loss. “My family was pretty close to him. I have a lot of memories which I will cherish forever. When I found out he was hospitalised, I kept calling to check on his health. He was fine for a few days but I think things went out of control in the past two days,” said Sathiyan.
Veteran paddler Sharath Kamal said the sport had lost a legend. “It’s a very tough loss for the fraternity. Had he continued playing, he would have brought more laurels to the country. But what happened to him was really unfortunate,” said Sharath.
Chandra’s life turned upside down in 1984 after he underwent a botched knee surgery at a private hospital. His brain suffered damage, he lost control over his limbs and spent more than a month in a near-coma state. His valiant legal fight against the hospital made the headlines and he won the lawsuit later.
Raman hailed Chandra as a “fighter”. “A multi-talented person before medical negligence reduced him to fight for survival. As a player he fought against the system. Remained a fighter till the very end, battling tooth and nail with Covid,” said Raman, who coaches Sathiyan now.