As part of the World Space Week celebrations, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is organising a mega ‘Space Expo’ at S.T. Hindu College in Nagercoil from October 5 to 8.
S.R. Vijayamohanakumar, chairman, Publicity Committee, ‘World Space Week 2017’, said the exhibition would showcase ISRO’s space research programmes from its humble beginning through display panels and exhibits. The exhibition would also cover applications of India’s space programmes for the benefit of common man.
The pavilion would have models of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), Reusable Launch Vehicle, GSLV MK III engine, liquid and cryogenic engines and Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment (CARE) recovered after the flight in December 2014.
The expo was the first of its kind in Tamil Nadu in terms of size and contents, which would benefit the public, especially students, immensely, the organisers said. The free exhibition, to be inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon. Radhakrishnan in the presence of K. Sivan, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, would be open to public from 9.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. on all days.
Mr. Vijayamohanakumar said a range of lectures on space science, ISRO’s feats, careers in ISRO, etc., would be delivered by experts as part of the expo. An open forum would be organised on the last day of the event, in which a panel of experts from various walks of life would participate.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Tamil Nadu / by Special Correspondent / October 04th, 2017
FIRST FAMILY OF TENNIS: T.K. Ramanathan with his son Ramanathan Krishnan, daughter-in-law Lalitha Krishnan and grandchidren Ramesh Krishnan and Gowri Krishnan. Photo: Special Arrangement
Tenkasi Krishnaiyer Ramanathan. This name casts a spell of reverence, awe, admiration and astounding nostalgia among the tennisfraternity.
TKR, whose birth centenary falls on Wednesday, was not a mere coach who shaped three Davis Cup stars — Ramanathan Krishnan, Ramesh Krishnan and Shankar Krishnan — from his family. He was an institution that etched a new dimension to the art of playing tennis in a classical mould.
The life and times of TKR is a saga of sacrifice; a mirror to an era when austerity and discipline ruled every aspect of existence. Not many in the present generation are aware that TKR had the first feel of a racquet at the age of 23; he bought this for Rs. 34 after selling a piece of his wife’s jewellery.
Overcoming odds
Self taught and steeled to conquer the odds, cashing in on indomitable will, discipline and dedication, which he later made a signature for his wards, TKR climbed the ladder to figure in the final of the all-India hardcourt championship in 1939. If not for World War II, he would have played at Wimbledon.
TKR’s genius lay in purveying the essence of tennis to his wards. A perfectionist, he was a master of the fundamentals. Everyone who passed his rigorous training benefited from the hours of toil on the court. He was never dogmatic. He displayed the instinct to discover the flair in each player and make it flourish.
“He was a motivator and a strategist, who emphasised on groundstrokes, made the trainee to develop a feel of the ball with perfect footwork,” observes a former National level player, V.K. Parthasarathy.
“My grandfather wanted whoever he was coaching to achieve their potential. There were no half measures, it was all, or nothing,” writes his US based grandson, Shankar Krishnan. “His coaching did not stop with tennis… whether Economics, Sanskrit, or driving a car, he was there to help us. His coaching gave us life lessons.”
Biggest influence
Ramesh Krishnan, another grandson, considers TKR “the biggest influence” in his formative years. “He gave me a very good foundation, stressed on consistency, early preparation and concentration. As a child I loved to play with other children, cricket and other activities.
“But grandfather would have none of it. Many times I have been dragged from cricket games right in the middle. Amidst all this, he was able to nurture my love for tennis. He was very passionate about tennis. I have not seen that kind of intensity in too many people,” recalls Ramesh.
For N. Srinivasan, BCCI Secretary, one of his students, TKR was a gentle coaching colossus. “Spartan by nature, gifted with enormous patience and imbued with genuine love for his trainees, he was a rare and endearing personality. His coaching skills and unerring ability to spot talent are part of Madras’s tennis lore,” says Srinivasan.
The tallest of them all, R. Krishnan, reckons TKR “the best coach ever. He was self taught, read a lot and had extraordinary foresight. He predicted years ago how top spin will rule competitive tennis and how professionalism will take over.”
“It is not easy to coach a son, and more so, grandsons,” Krishnan adds. “Many think I coached Ramesh, but it was my father who did that as I was constantly on tour.”
TKR’s dream was to see Krishnan at the pinnacle in Wimbledon. It went unrealised. But the adulation Krishnan earned across the globe filled him with pride. He endured the hardships for giving Krishnan the best environment to pursue a career of excellence.
“It is only the wearer who knows where the shoe pinches,” he once told this writer sitting in the verandah of his modest house in Tiruvengadam Street in Mandaveli.
Tennis is the priority
“Have you heard of a father telling his son to play tennis first and then to study. I had tuition for Kannan — that’s how he called Krishnan — in all the subjects while he was in college. I only wanted him to win at Wimbledon.”
Money was never a factor. Else, he would have persuaded Krishnan to turn professional when Jack Kramer made a fabulous offer.
Concern and welfare of the trainees were TKR’s top priority. Lakshmi Mahadevan, former Asian champion, notes, “When I won the Asian, he was the first to phone me…. He came in person to offer his felicitations when the India rankings were announced. These and so many more lovely moments are evergreen in my memory.” Lakshmi and Krishnan won the Asian titles in the same year, a feat that no other coach has ever achieved.
N. Sankar, who formed a formidable collegiate doubles pair with N. Srinivasan, says, “ Saar, as we referred to him, was forthright in his views. As a coach, he was very strict, and quite voluble in criticism. That most of his trainees were from some of the leading families of Madras made no difference to him. We cared for him that much more because of it.”
When life ebbed out of TKR on Monday, October 8, 1990, tennis lost an ardent devotee. But memories linger and will stay forever.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Tennis / by S. Thiagarjan / Chennai – November 03rd, 2010
