Hyderabad: Renowned multilingual actor Sarath Babu, who had been battling a severe illness, passed away on Monday afternoon at a private hospital in Hyderabad. His family members informed the media about his demise.

Sarat Babu's health had started deteriorating in the first week of April, leading to his admission to a private hospital in Bengaluru. Despite showing slight signs of recovery, he was later transferred to the 'AIG' hospital in Hyderabad, where the treatment continued. Regrettably, the 71-year-old veteran actor succumbed to his illness on Monday afternoon, as the treatment proved unsuccessful.

Sarath Babu, who entered the silver screen with the Telugu film 'Rama Rajyam' released in 1973, acted in more than 200 films in a film journey spanning 4 decades. He was recognized not only in Telugu but also in Kannada and Tamil cinema. His performances in movies like 'Shakti,' 'Ranachandi,' 'Kampana,' 'Gaya,' 'Tulsi Dal,' 'Hridaya-Hridaya,' 'Neela,' 'Nammejamanu,' and 'Amrita Varshini' garnered him immense popularity in the Kannada film industry.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Melbourne (PTI): Former Australian hockey player Michael Nobbs, who coached the Indian men's team at the 2012 London Olympics, has died after a prolonged illness.

He was 72 years old and is survived by his wife Lee Capes, a former Australian women's international and daughter Kaitlin, who is a current Hockeyroos star.

"Hockey Australia extends its deepest condolences to Michael’s family, friends, former teammates, players and all those whose lives and careers were shaped by his contribution to hockey. He will be remembered as a proud Kookaburra, a respected professional, and a servant of the sport," Hockey Australia said in a statement.

Nobbs represented Australia as a defender, playing across the half-back line and at fullback, and was renowned for his reliability, fitness and professionalism. He earned 76 international caps for Australia between 1979 and 1985, scoring one goal, and was a member of one of the strongest eras in Australian men’s hockey, said Hockey Australia on its website in its tribute.

Nobbs was an integral part of the Australian teams that competed at the 1981 Hockey World Cup in Bombay and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

While part of a generation widely regarded as one of Australia’s finest, he consistently held his place through hard work, discipline and trust earned from teammates and coaches, Hockey Australia wrote.

Nobbs took over the coaching of the Indian men's team in 2011 after it had failed to qualify for the Beijing Games in 2008. While India were brilliant in the qualifiers, the team finished last at the London extravaganza which also expedited the Australian coach's sacking.

Apart from India, Nobbs also coached Japan.