Former India badminton coach S. Balachandran Nair (69) passed away here on Sunday due to COVID-19. He had his wife and two daughters Priya and Prija who were former badminton players.
Balachandran, who was under treatment for Multiple Myeloma for some time, tested positive two weeks ago and died at the Government Medical College.
In a coaching career spanning more than three decades, Balachandran trained prominent players like U. Vimal Kumar (who is a National coach himself now), Sanave Thomas, V. Diju, Thomas Kurien, Fatima Nazreen, and Ayyappan Krishnan.
He was also the coach of the Indian team for more than a decade and had accompanied squads to various tournaments around the world.
Known to be a tough disciplinarian, Balachandran was a pioneer in introducing innovative fitness drills.
