Venugopal Chandrasekhar
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A brief biography
Prasad RS, May 13, 2021: The Times of India
“Life is like a table tennis game. It’s about finding the right balance between deft touches and powerful smashes,” former national champion Venugopal Chandrasekhar once told TOI. It summed up his life — a fighter on and off court — battling till the last point. On Wednesday though, the 63-year-old’s will-power was not enough to fight off Covid. The ace player and coach fell to the virus that has wreaked havoc. Chandra is survived by his wife Mala and son Sanjay.
Cricket was Chandra’s first love but a head injury while fielding at slips saw him switch allegiance to table tennis. At 12, Chandra enrolled in the now-defunct Emesor Sports Club in Adyar and his rise in the sport was swift. In 1970, Chandra became the Tamil Nadu sub-junior champion. Three years later, he not only became the state junior champion but also made the quarters of the Nationals.
The coming years would see Chandra’s aggressive style of play fetch him three National titles. Despite his prowess on the TT table, Chandra was always serious about his studies. He was a gold medallist in BA Economics and Law from Madras University. Chandra’s playing career was cut short due to a botched-up surgery in 1984. He underwent a knee operation in a leading hospital in Chennai which left him partially blind and disabled. He fought a protracted legal battle with the hospital challenging the surgery and won Rs 17.3 lakhs as compensation.
