Sivanthi Adithan - Sports Administrator

Sports Administrator

Adityan’s dynamism coupled with persuasive skill helped him establish a rapport with the international administrators. His equation with the President of FIVB, Reuben Acosta, IOC chief, Juan Antonio Samaranch and the OCA President, Al Ahmad Al Sabah, was enviable. Every one of them offered Adityan a role in the international federations. He held important positions such as Vice-President in the FIVB and AVC, and Chairman in the OCA Finance Commission. His rise in the hierarchy was measured and gradual; it included a stint as the Chef-de-Mission for the 1978 Asiad in Bangkok.

As an administrator that he has left an indelible imprint. At a time when it was an obsession for industrialists and politicians to capture the levers of power in popular sports, he opted to glamorise disciplines such as volleyball and kabaddi. If volleyball enjoys a veneer of glamour today, it is largely due to Adityan’s energy and effort.The part played by VFI in promoting the sport across the country needs no exaggeration. He also played a role in obtaining kabaddi a spot in the Asian Games.