FILE IMAGE: N. Ramachandran, during his time as the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president, in 2016. | Photo Credit: AFP

Former Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president N. Ramachandran passed away here on Thursday. He was 77 and is survived by his wife and two children.

Ramachandran, who had a long and distinguished career as a sports administrator, headed the IOA from 2014 to 2017 after previously serving as treasurer.

It was in Squash that he made a lasting impact as the Secretary General of the Squash Rackets Federation of India.

Ramachandran - the younger brother of former BCCI president and ICC chairman N. Srinivasan - was later elected president of the World Squash Federation for two terms, from 2008 to 2016.

During his tenure, he enhanced the sport’s profile and made Chennai the hub of squash in the country. It was through his vision that the India Squash Academy was set up in the city in 2000, which has produced top athletes such as Joshna Chinappa, Dipika Pallikal, and Saurav Goshal, who have brought laurels to the country.

He was also the Patron of the Asian Squash Federation and the SRFI and served as the CEO of the Indian Triathlon Federation.

Ramachandran received the ‘Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar’ from the Government of India in 2011 in the category of ‘Establishment and Management of Sports Academies of Excellence’.

In August 2016, he received the Olympic Order - Silver by the International Olympic Committee at Rio de Janeiro for his services to the Olympic movement.

Published on Apr 16, 2026