The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : R.K. Khanna passes away

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 22, 2005

Sport

Sport - Tennis

R.K. Khanna passes away

NEW DELHI: The former president of the All India Tennis Association (AITA), R.K. Khanna, passed away on Tuesday morning following complications from pneumonic fever. He has been ailing for about a month. He was 81.

Mr. Khanna is survived by his wife, two sons and a daugther. One of his sons, Anil Khanna, is the present secretary of the AITA.

A large number of sports administrators, including the former IOC member, Ashwini Kumar, former tennis players including Shyam Minotra, Balram Singh, Madhusudan Singh, T. Chandrasekhar and Nar Singh, friends and relatives attended the funeral at the Lodhi Road crematorium in the afternoon.

R.K. Khanna had been associated with Indian tennis for four decades. He was elected secretary-general of the All India Lawn Tennis Association (as the federation was known then) in 1966 and held that post till 1975.

He came back to that post in 1988 and held it till 1992 when he was unanimously elected president of the AITA. He held that position till October 16, 2000. For his contribution to the sport, Mr. Khanna was conferred the Padma Bhushan in 1975.

A professional chartered accountant since 1947, Mr. Khanna was President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in 1972-73. His financial acumen perhaps helped AITA build up a healthy income for the promotion of the sport. The AITA now rakes in Rs 1.5 crore per year from its Delhi stadium alone. Incidentally, that stadium is named after him.

The stadium has been his biggest contribution to the game. The complex at Africa Avenue had come up for the 1982 Asian Games, but the AITA took it over in due course, added courts including synthetic ones and eventually built a stadium. The offices of the AITA are housed there.

Mr. Khanna helped create a tournament structure, both domestic and international and today the AITA has a plethora of international tournaments through which the players are able to gain valuable ranking points. He also helped in evolving a junior development programme.

Mr. Khanna, born in Amritsar on April 12, 1924, was the captain of the Delhi University tennis team from 1942 to 1944. He was elected secretary-general of the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) in 1962 and was also non-playing captain of the Indian Davis Cup team in 1966 when the country reached the Challenge Round. He also had the distinction of having played in the veterans event of Wimbledon for six years.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) secretary-general, Randhir Singh, in his condolence message, said: "His passing away has left a great void in the world of sports."

The Tamil Nadu Tennis Association president, Mr. V. Narayanan, in his message said: "On behalf of the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association and myself, I condole the demise of Shri R.K. Khanna, president emeritus, All India Tennis Association, who was a doyen among Indian sports administrators. He supported the development of tennis in India for over four decades up to today." — Special Correspondent

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport