Veteran athletics coach N. Lingappa, 95, passed away due to age-related illness on Tuesday here.
Lingappa had trained several international athletes like D.Y. Biradar, P.C. Ponnappa, Uday Prabhu and Ashwini Nachappa during the course of his over 60-year career as a coach.
Lingappa received the Dronacharya Award in 2014.
An athlete himself, Lingappa had qualified as a walker in the 1954 Manila Asian Games, but the event was cancelled.
Singular honour
The Karnataka Olympic Association said Lingappa had the singular honour of being coach of the Indian athletics team at four successive Olympic Games, three Asian Games and numerous State and National-level meets.
Prabhu, Ashwini and fellow athletics coach V.R. Beedu remembered Lingappa as a disciplinarian, who dedicated his life to the sport.
“Lingappa was a taskmaster — his training sessions were strenuous and rewarding.
“Most of all, his dedication to the sport stood out. Come rain or ill-health, he never missed a training session,” said Ashwini.
After undergoing treatment at a hospital, Lingappa was brought home a few days ago.
He breathed his last in the early hours of Tuesday.
He is survived by two sons and three daughters.