Kozhikode: V Srinivas (64), husband of former athlete P T Usha, passed away on Friday morning after collapsing at their home in Thikkodi Perumalpuram, Kerala, around 12.30 am.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Usha, who is now a Rajya Sabha MP and president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), and expressed his condolences on the passing of her husband, as reported by ANI.
The Sports Journalists’ Federation of India (SJFI) also mourned Srinivasan’s death.
A native of Vengalal, Ponnani, Srinivasan was considered the strength behind Usha as she went from one success to another, overcoming challenges that came her way.
Srinivasan retired as an inspector with the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). He was a former national-level university kabaddi player and took it upon himself to chronicle every moment of the career of India’s “Golden Girl”, who ignited that fire in the bellies of Indian athletes to win medals at international events.
The two got married on April 25, 1991. Srinivasan was intimately familiar with Usha’s competitions, knowing the timing of each event down to the second. Beyond being her spouse, he had studied her athletic journey with meticulous attention.
Srinivasan was instrumental in establishing the Usha School of Athletics in Kinaloor, Kerala, serving as its co-founder and treasurer, and providing steadfast support in the school’s operations. Their son, Dr Vignesh V Ujjwal, a sports medicine specialist, also serves at the Usha School of Athletics.
Srinivasan was also working on creating a museum at home to house Usha’s medals and detailed records of her competitions. Unfortunately, he passed away before the project could be completed.
Usha is one of India’s most successful track-and-field athletes. She has four gold medals and seven silver medals at the Asian Games.
The exact cause of Srinivasan’s death is not known. He was rushed to a nearby private hospital soon after he collapsed, but could not be saved. Usha was not at home at the time of the incident. She is on her way home after attending the parliamentary session.
Usha missed out on an Olympic medal at the Los Angeles 1984 by a fraction of a second. Her timing of 55.42s in the women’s 400m hurdles at the Los Angeles Olympics still stands as India’s national record.
Under her leadership, India is set to host the Centenary Commonwealth Games (CWG) in 2030 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, marking the second time the country hosts this event.
“The SJFI is deeply shocked and grieved by the untimely and sudden passing of Shri V.l Sreenivasan, beloved husband of legendary athlete, Rajya Sabha MP, and president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), Ms P T Usha,” SJFI said in a statement.
“The federation recalls with fondness his steadfast association with Indian athletics and his role in supporting one of India’s greatest sporting icons, Ms P T Usha, throughout her illustrious career and beyond,” it added.
