Dronacharya award recipient, athlete coach Lingappa no more
Bengaluru, Jun 18: Veteran athletics coach and Dronacharya awardee N Lingappa, credited with training several star athletes including sprinters Ashwini Nachappa and Vandana Rao, died here Tuesday, family sources said.
He was 95 and died at his residence due to age-related issues.
Lingappa is survived by two sons and three daughters.
His wife, Lakshmamma, predeceased him.
One of his sons, Nagaraj, was a national-level basketball player.
Lingappa was awarded the prestigious Dronacharya award in 2014 in recognition of his work as a coach.
During his illustrious coaching career spanning over six decades, Lingappa has trained athletes, including Nachappa, Rao, D Y Biradar, a former national marathon champion, Udaya Prabhu, Sathish Pillay and P C Ponnappa (400m silver medallist at the Bangkok Asian Games in 1970), among others.
He himself was a 10km walker in his prime and qualified for the event in the Manila Asian Games in 1954, though it was cancelled.
He had also served as an assistant coach of the India athletic squad.
Lingappa won a silver medal in 10 km walk in the first National Games held in Delhi in 1954.
He was a recipient of various state awards, including the Karnataka State Dasara award (1987), Rajyotsava award (1994), Karnataka Olympic Association award for outstanding coach (2002), and Kempegowda award in 2002.
Ashwini Nachappa, who trained under Lingappa during her early years, said his death was a loss to Indian athletics and praised his dedication.
"His death is a loss to Indian athletics. He was a wonderful coach, a complete taskmaster and instilled discipline in his trainees. I am fortunate to have trained under him and am thankful that he was part of my journey," the former Asian Games medalist told PTI.
Well-known Bengaluru-based coach V R Beedu, a close associate of Lingappa, said Indian sport had lost a legend.
"Indian sport has lost a legend. It is a loss to Indian athletics. He was a very dedicated coach and used to come to the Kanteerava stadium each day to train athletes.
"He was an inspiration to young coaches. Enthusiasm was a great trait of his. I learnt a lot from him," Beedu, a Dronacharya awardee who has also trained Nachappa, Reeth Abraham and Angel Mary among others, said.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
