Veteran Indian Hockey Journalist S Thyagarajan Passes Away at 85
Chennai, India – The world of sports journalism is in mourning following the demise of veteran Indian journalist S Thyagarajan, who passed away on Monday after battling age-related ailments. He was 85 years old.
Thyagarajan, affectionately known as "Thyagu" among colleagues and athletes, carved an indelible niche for himself through his extensive and passionate coverage of hockey. His cremation took place in Chennai on the same day.
A Storied Career Spanning Decades
Thyagarajan's journalistic journey began with The Indian Express in 1961 before he joined The Hindu newspaper in 1962, where he served until his retirement in 2013. Over these five decades, he became synonymous with hockey reporting in India.
His career highlights include coverage of:
- Six Olympic Games
- Nine Asian Games
- Nine hockey World Cups
- Twenty national hockey championships
Beyond his reporting duties, Thyagarajan served on media and communications committees for both the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF). He also held leadership positions as president of the Sports Journalists Federation of India (1996-1998) and the Tamil Nadu Sports Journalists Association for many years.
Tributes Pour In From Sports Community
The news of his passing prompted an outpouring of grief from across the sports fraternity. The Hindu's sports editor K C Vijaya Kumar confirmed the news on social media platform X, describing Thyagarajan as "the doyen of hockey writing."
Former India hockey captain and 1980 Olympic gold medalist Vasudevan Baskaran expressed profound sadness, recalling how Thyagarajan had covered his entire career. "His dedication, love and knowledge of the sport was impeccable," Baskaran told PTI. "It's very sad for Indian sports as he was a great athletics correspondent as well besides hockey. His contribution to Indian hockey was immense."
Senior journalist and hockey historian K Arumugam, who knew Thyagarajan for over 30 years, described him as "a rare, all-rounder journalist" and "a master of all aspects not just hockey." Arumugam emphasized that Thyagarajan was "globally very well respected" with widely recognized expertise.
An Irreparable Loss to Journalism
Fellow journalist S Sabanayakan, former president of SJFI, termed Thyagarajan's death "an irreparable loss to sports journalism." He highlighted Thyagarajan's unique writing style and his role in mentoring younger journalists.
"An expert in field hockey, Thyagu groomed a lot of youngsters in the profession," Sabanayakan said. "A fluent writer, his writing style was racy and unique."
Thyagarajan's international recognition extended to his role as Chairman of the Field Hockey Commission of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) from 1998 to 2006. His contributions were formally acknowledged in October 2024 when the Sports Journalists Federation of India felicitated him for his lifetime achievements.
The Sports Journalists Federation of India officially condoled his demise, with President Saraju Chakraborty stating that the passing of "the doyen of sports journalism" represents an irreparable loss to the fraternity.
Thyagarajan is survived by his wife and two daughters. His legacy endures through the countless stories he told, the journalists he mentored, and the profound impact he made on hockey coverage in India and beyond.
