Unrecognised IOA mourns former president Adityan`s death

Chandigarh: Abhay Singh Chautala, president of the unrecognised Indian Olympic Association, mourned the death of former IOA president B Sivanthi Adityan and said the "vacuum created by his demise can never be filled" on Sunday.

Adityan, 76, died in Chennai on Friday after a prolonged illness. Chautala and Lalit Bhanot, the secretary general of the unrecognised IOA, in a joint condolence message said: "We are grieved, the IOA has suffered an irreparable loss. Adithan`s death has created a vacuum that can never be filled. He led by example. He was always helpful to sportspersons. He always worked for the betterment of Indian sports." Adityan was also a life president of the National Rifle Association of India. He was associated with shooting sport for more than four decades. He was an active shotgun shooter and had also organised competitions in Chennai. Chautala said Adityan was known to help volleyball players to get training and exposure abroad. "We will set up a memorial or an award after his name to perpetuate his memory," Chautala said. Adityan, a keen sports enthusiast, was a volleyball player. Later, he served as the president of Volleyball Federation of India. In 1996, Adityan received the Olympic Order of Merit from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). PTI