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Great record by Babu
There are several athletes who do not receive their share of recognition. The reasons could be many, but it is essential to remember that India is not a one-sport nation and all athletes who represent the country and do well at international events should be honoured and respected.
Suresh Babu is one such athlete. The Kerala long jumper dominated the national scene between 1972 and 1979 winning various titles in jumps and the decathlon.
His first international competition was the 1972 Munich Olympics. He got to rub shoulders with best athletes in the world which helped him in the 1974 Tehran Asian Games. Babu won a bronze in decathlon. He followed it up with a gold at the Asian Championships in Seoul the next year.
He also captained Indian University team during the World University Games in Moscow in 1973. Babu’s next big success came at the Bangkok Asian Games where he won gold in long jump with a distance of 7.85 metres. The Kerala lad won silver at the Asian Athletics Championships in Tokyo in 1979.
The government honoured him with the Arjuna award in 1979 for his contribution to athletics in India. However, Babu’s efforts went unknown for a long time as an athlete who did so much to put India on the world map. He died in Ranchi in 2011 while attending the National Games.
