Nambiar cherishes ‘late’ Padma award

I feel very happy for this award though it could have been many years back. Still I am happy. Better late than never.

— O.M. NAMBIAR P. T. Usha’s coach

New Delhi, Jan. 26: It was a long time coming, over three decades to be precise.

For 88-year-old O. M. Nambiar, the man who nurtured one of India’s greatest athletes in P T Usha, the announcement of his name in the list of this year’s Padma Shri awardees is a case of “better late than never”.

“I feel very happy for this award though it could have been many years back. Still I am happy. Better late than never,” Nambiar, who is battling the Parkinson’s disease, said in an interaction from his home in Kozikhode.

Usha was conferred the Padma Shri in 1985 while Nambiar, presented the Dronacharya that year, had to wait for another 36 years before the nation’s fourth highest civillian honour came his way.

His affliction will, however, not allow him to receive the honour in person when the President gives it away at the Rashtrapati Bhawan later. But that’s not lessened his joy.

“Every medal won by my trainees gives me immense satisfaction. I consider my Dronacharya Award, Best Asian Coach award and now Padma Shri as recognition of my hard work and dedication,” said the legendary hailing from Kerala.

Looking back in time, an Olympic medal for his most famous ward — Usha — was Nambiar’s “lifetime dream” and he recalled being devastated when she missed the bronze in the 1984 Los Angeles Games by a whisker.

The man, who moulded Usha into one of India’s finest athletes during his mentorship from 1977 to 1990, said he couldn’t stop weeping once Usha was done with that race.

“It is absolutely true that I wept when we knew that Usha missed the bronze by one-hundredth of a second in 400m hurdles in 1984 Olympics. I was inconsolable,” Nambiar said.

“I cannot forget that moment. An Olympic medal for Usha was my biggest lifetime dream,” he added.

Usha was beaten by Romanian Cristieana Cojocaru for the bronze medal in a photo-finish, denying India what could have been its first Olympic medal in athletics. The Romanian clocked 55.41 seconds while Usha recorded 55.42 seconds.

Nambiar’s son Suresh said that someone from the family will collect the award for him when the ceremony is officially held.

“My father will not be able to collect the Padma Shri. His movement is restricted. Somebody from the family will receive the award,” he said.

Nambiar was with Indian Air Force for 15 years and retired as a Sergeant in 1970.

He got a coaching diploma from the NIS-Patiala in 1968 and joined the Kerala Sports Council in 1971.

He was tasked with finding talented athletes in the state.