P M Radhakrishnan

P M Radhakrishnan
PROLOGUE
P.M. Radhakrishnan was an accomplished Football Player, Coach, Referee and Administrator who passed away rather suddenly in March 2010. He leaves behind a big void personally and is sorely missed by the Footballing Fraternity. He was passionate about Football and had a special feel for developing youngsters (both boys and girls) right from the grassroots. He combined a gentle coaching style and expert professional knowledge to all Levels of footballers. He personally hand-molded several Players from a very young age, who went onto represent India with Flying Colors. He also conducted annual Coaching camps for the under-privileged kids all over the city and other charitable activities.
He completed his FIFA Coaching ‘A’ License way back in 1987 at Germany. He was trained by Franz Beckenbaur under the aegis of DFB (Deutsche Futbol Bund - German Football Association). Only 2 individuals from India were hand-picked for this prestigious Certification that year.
P.M.Radhakrishnan - A Bibliography (6 Sep 1946 to 18 Mar 2010)
Early Years
P. M. Radhakrishnan or ‘Radha’, as He was affectionately known in football circles throughout his adult life, was born on 6 September 1946 in Chennai. His parents were Chokkanathan Krishnan and Kuttiammal, and named Paraikattae Melaveedu Radhakrishnan at birth.
He lived with his family at various rental houses in and around North Madras (Seven Wells, Mint, Tondiarpet etc). His maternal Uncle was a Cinema Projection operator in the erstwhile Maharani theatre, and he was the earliest and main influence who got him interested in Sports and specifically football. He used to take him and his younger brother to the local football matches, which had a big fan following at the grass-roots level in Chennai in the 1950s/1960s.He married Kumari, a native of Kerala on 9th Dec, 1972. She was born in Payyalore,Kerala on 4 April 1950 to Parvathy Kutty and Vadakkepat Karunakaran Nair. This was a formal alliance sorted out by common friends who worked at the Accountant Generals Office and Reserve Bank of India. They lead a happy and prosperous married life and were true soul-mates and sired 2 boys.
Introduction to Sports
He enrolled in St Gabriels School as a youngster. He came into touch with Father McFerren, an Irish missionary with a passion for uplifting youngsters with discipline and sporting talent. Both of this was aplenty in Him. The esteemed Father saw His early passion for Sports and an inbuilt discipline and clean habits, and took him under his wings.Under the Father’s able guidance, He dabbled in quite a few sporting activities in the Don Bosco premises at Broadway, which was adjoining the St.Gabriels school premises. Apart from his mainstream well-documented Athletics and Footballing exploits, he was also an excellent amateur exponent in Pool, Table Tennis and Carrom-board . He was a keen orator, an amateur dramatist who dabbled in local theatre adaptations of Shakespearan plays during his DB Oratory days.
Academics
He was an excellent student in St.Gabriels , GeorgeTown, with several distinction and First Class achievements including his PUC (Pre University Course). He then enrolled in Thyagaraya’s college and graduated with honours in B.Sc Zoology. Subsequently, he followed this up with a Post Graduation in Philosophy (M.A) in Pachaiyappa’s College.
As a Long Distance Athlete( 1964 - 1970)
He was an ardent Track & Field athlete and participated and won innumerable Middle and Long distance races during his School and College Days. A chest-full of Winners Certificates during his Theyagaraya and Pachaiyappa’s College Days are living testimony to his long distance running exploits.
As a Football Player (1964-1976)
#Represented Tamilnadu in Junior National Championship
#Represented Madras University in the All India Inter-University Tournament
#Represented Tamilnadu in the Senior National Championship (Santhosh Trophy)
#Represented Tamilnadu in the prestigious Southern Pentagular Football Championship held at Colombo and Quilon
#Represented and Captained Tamilnadu Team in the Nizam Gold Cup Tournament held at Hyderabad
#Played for Reserve Bank of India Football Team for more than 10 years and Captained the Team in many All India Major Tournaments
His Football Coaching and Refereeing qualifications
#National Institute of Sports (N.I.S) Diploma in Football (10 months course) in 1977 - 1978
#FIFA 'A' Licence in Football Coaching from West Germany 1987 - 1988
#National Grade ‘A’ Referee
#Completed 'FIFA' refresher courses (for coaches) at Bangalore and Kolkata
#Completed 'FIFA' refresher course for Referees at Chennai
#Obtained 'Sports Medicine' Certificate conducted bySports Development Authority of Tamilnadu
Sports Injury and Coaching Career
He injured his Right knee cartilage during 1976, and had to undergo corrective surgery on his knee. This cut short his playing career when he was in his prime. Undeterred, he turned his full focus on a fulfilling Coaching career post a 10-month Football Coaching Course at N.I.S (National Institute of Sports). He continued to upgrade his skills, the foremost of which was the 'A' Coaching License awarded by the German Football Association in 1987. He was one of the 2 Indian Coaches recommended by AIFF(All India Football Federation) to represent India in this prestigious 1 month evaluative training and certification. He came out with flying colours and was awarded the 'A' License Certification, which certified him to coach ANY International Team or Club. The course was presided over by Franz Beckenbaur(Germany World Cup Winner as Player-1974 and Coach-1990) and Holger Osiech(German National Team - Technical Director under Beckenbaur).
As a Football Coach (1976-2010)
#Reserve Bank of India (CFA Senior Division Team) Football Team Coach for more than 10 years (which won twice Championship title, thrice runner-up and winner of many All India Tournament)
#Coach of Tamilnadu Sub Junior team for the National Championship
#Coach of Tamilnadu Junior Team for the National Championship
#Coach of Tamilnadu Senior Team for the National Championship
#Coach of Tamilnadu U-21 (Youth) Team for the National Championship
#Coach of Madras University Football Team.
#Coach of Tamilnadu Senior Women's Team in the National Championship
#All India RBI Football Team Coach in 1982, 1995, 1996, 1998 and 2000.
#Trained strong Institutional Football Teams in the Senior Division and 1st Division CFA/TFA Leagues. Some of them were TNEB (Tamil Nadu Electricity Board), NLC (Neyveli Lignite Corporation), FCI (Food Corporation of India), HPF (Hindustan Photo Films), MDLB (Madras Dock Labour Board), Don Bosco Youth Centres (Basin Bridge, Broadway, Siga, Wisdom Town), Income Tax, Tamil Nadu Special Police, Madras City Police, etc
#Coach of Anna University Football Team, latest stint in 1996. Coached them in the 1996 South Zone Inter-University tournament at Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh.
#Trained many private clubs in the Chennai Football Association League like Dynamos FC, MUC(Madras United Club), Madras Sporting Youngsters, T Nagar FC,. He single-handedly guided the golden era of Dynamos FC, anchoring its rapid rise from CFA 5th Division to Senior Division, with a promotion every single year in the CFA League, which was and remains a very rare achievement.
#One of the Founder Members and Coach of the Tamil Nadu Women's Football Team since its inception in the 1980s.
#Coach of AG's Office Tamil Nadu team in the National 'B' League at Trivandrum in 2003.
#Coach of SDAT - Don Bosco Sports Hostel and Talent Development Centre at Wisdom Town, Red Hills.
#He was the incumbent Coach of Perambur Blues Football Club, which is in the First Division league of Chennai Football Association.
Interest in Football and General Administration
During his lengthy tenure (1969-2003) in Reserve Bank of India , he was actively involved as a Office bearer in several aspects of the RBRC(Reserve Bank Recreation Club), primary of which was running and administering Sports teams of RBI during the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. This included National Level tournaments apart from the Annual Inter-RBI Sporting events and the Annual Inter-Bank Sports events conducted by Indian Banks Association. This later involved closely working with the Trade Unions and Officers/Clerks Associations to promote and safeguard employee interests and sports / recreational activities.
As a Football Administrator(mid 1980s till date)
#Former Office Bearer of Chennai Football Referees Association
#Vice President of Chennai Football Coaches Association
#Former Hon. Asst. Secretary and Present Hon. Treasurer of Chennai Football Association
#Convenor, Women's Wing, Chennai Football Association
#Hon. Secretary, T'Nagar Football Club
Womens Football(1980s-till date)
In the mid - 1980s, a core group made concerted efforts and founded the Womens Football movement in Tamil Nadu. It started off with Him as the primary coach at Ramakrishna School grounds at T Nagar, with the encouragement of School Principal and the local SDAT Coach and a few others from the mainstream men’s football.
Regular coaching sessions were held on the week-end mornings at RKM School grounds. It later then shifted to Quaid-E-Millet Womens College (next to Spencers) and then eventually found its spiritual home in YMCA College grounds near the Main Pavilion.
Some of the earliest exponents of Women’s Football came from fishermen community near North Madras. Apart from being extremely competitive and fiercely passionate about football, they all had matching voracious appetites. The never-ending batches of cooked rice and curry at His place on Sunday afternoons were a testimony to this! Gradually, He was able to influence City Schools and Colleges to send their promising women athletes over to the football training grounds. This was quite an achievement since there was no formal footballing organization or a clear roadmap for women footballers at that stage. He had excellent presentation skills and above all, an overpowering integrity and sincerity that shone through to parents and school administrators that made them trust him with their young wards. There were some spectacular success stories within the Womens football. They came from all walks of life, right from disadvantaged girls from economically backward families down to affluent girls educated in English speaking convents. He had a unique way of applying the same standards to all the girls and extracted a solid team performance and team spirit within all his teams.
As an orator
He was a highly skilled multi-lingual orator, equally adept at Tamil and English. He had very good General Knowledge and Sports Knowledge, specifically on Football. He participated in several Radio shows with All India Radio for topical discussions on Global Sporting events like the Football World Cup, UEFA Champions League. He was also very popular as a Role Model with the Schools in North Madras, and was a habitual invitee as Chief Guest for Sports and Annual Day programs in several such Schools in North Madras.
Residents Welfare Association
He and his wife Kumari made several sacrifices and were able to build their own home at New Colony, Alwarthirunagar at Chennai. It was a long cherished residence and a ‘heaven’ for Him throughout his life. It was a symbol of having arrived in life with an own residence after all the initial struggles.
Within a few years of moving in to this residence in 1983, after multiple attempts, the New Colony Welfare Association came into existence. He was very active with the Welfare Association activities related to Sports, Picnics and other welfare and recreational activities to help with the bonding between the neighborhood families.
Footballing Philanthropist
He had produced several outstanding Football players (Both Men and Women) and many of them represented the State and few of them represented the Country. Another remarkable fact is that all his footballing disciples and personal beneficiaries have been carved on a familiar template, one that shows strength of character and personal discipline, full of humility and respect for others.
Some of his Football protégés went onto become very successful and famous football players, officials and administrators in their own time. A handful of them are mentioned below.
*Syed Sabir Pasha - Hand-picked him from the Junior Cricket ranks, persuaded his family to switch him to Football because of his innate footballing talent, and nurtured him in his early formative playing days. Represented Dynamos FC and caught the eye of Indian Bank FC, and went on to represent Indian Senior Football Team in the SAF Tournament in 1996. He now coaches Indian Bank FC.
*Amalraj - Skillful, Fast and talented forward. Represented Junior India and got recruited by Indian Bank FC in the 1990s. Played in the Indian Football League for Indian Bank.
*Janaki Kowtha - Picked her out when she was barely a teen-ager and hand-moulded her into a powerful Center-forward for the Local Womens Football League. Subsequently re-branded her as a skillful Right-Wing back in his own image to enable Selection for the Indian Womens Football Team. Represented India in overseas tournaments and eventually settled abroad in California, USA.
*Monica Sathyanesan - Started training with PMR at a very early age in school. Her lazy elegance and quiet demeanour masked her inner strength and goalkeeping prowess. His Hands-on training techniques and hours spent on the training ground ensured a Solid base for her goalkeeping skills. She went on to become an Indian Womens Team Squad player.
Add to this the scores and scores of local football players whom he nurtured in the Lower Leagues and ensured they got the right opportunities and breaks in being ‘recruited’ by the various institutions in Chennai. Most of these institutions had an active habit of providing a Full time employment to Sportspersons who excelled in any one sporting discipline like Football, Basketball, Volleyball, Athletics etc.
EPILOGUE
It is impossible to count the number of economically disadvantaged people, whom he helped from the grassroot footballing days right upto the stage where he ensured they got a stable permanent job in one of the local Instituttions that promoted Football. He did this mostly at his own expense, by Coaching Private Football Clubs and and actively promoting these players. At the end of a successful footballing season, almost his entire team would be lured away to greener pastures through promise of Money or Jobs. He would consider it ‘Job done’ and willingly start all over again to identify new talent and help them prosper. He has dispensed financial and emotional assistance to countless players and officials in the local footballing circuit. He has also helped with Kids education, bailing out on loans etc for some of them. In more than one way, he devoted his entire Life to the development of Football.
All of this just purely with a good heart and a smiling face, and not expecting anything in return. His Spirit lives on within his family and Sportzunlimited. If every aspiring football player can work hard and harness his / her full potential, it will be a great Service to a great Soul who strived so hard to develop this beautiful game of Football.

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