Over the last three days, the K.P.S. Menon memorial indoor court at the CSN Trust has been struggling to accommodate badminton fans of Ottappalam. Thee fans have been treated to some quality fare too, by some of the prominent and hugely promising players in Indian badminton.
The South Zone championship, which concludes on Sunday, is proving to be quite a success. It is a well-organised event by CSN Trust, which was formed in 1974 in the memory of Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair, the first Malayali to become the president of Indian National Congress who was also the Advocate General to the Madras Government.
“We have been conducting a State ranking senior tournament and the official coaching camp for State players over the last few years; we felt we could host a big tournament too,” says E.P. Chitresh Nair, secretary, CSN Trust. “I think this must be the biggest- ever sports event in the history of Ottapalam. We have worked hard to ensure that the participants have a good time.”
The players and officials are impressed. “This is one of the best-organised tournaments I have ever been to in India,” says Andhra coach J.B.S. Vidyadhar. “It is nice to see organisers who take good care of you.”
Chitresh hopes the tournament would attract more people of Ottapalam to badminton. “We already have an academy that has begun to produce champions,” he says.
The trust, which functions from the house Sankaran Nair’s eldest daughter, Lady Madhavan Nair built, also conducts an annual festival of classical music and dance.
“Every year, we also give the K.P.S. Menon memorial award to prominent personalities,” says P.T. Narendra Menon, chairman of the trust. “We have honoured people like writers M.T. Vasudevan Nair and K. Jayakumar, singers M. Balamuralikrishna and K.S. Chithra and former Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao.”
K.P.S. Menon had lived the last several of years of his life at Ottapalam. His wife, Saraswathi, was the daughter of Sankaran Nair.
A trust formed in the memory of Chettur Sankaran Nair is playing host to the South Zone badminton championship.
