Drona JS Saini no more

Patiala, March 1

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Veteran athletics coach and Dronacharya Award-winner Joginder Singh Saini, who groomed some of India’s finest track and field stars, died here today due to age-related problems. He was 90. Saini, who was the chief national athletics coach in the 1970s-1990s, was not keeping well for the past few days.

Born on January 1, 1930, in Hoshiarpur district, Saini was a science graduate and became an athletics coach in 1954 after completing a diploma in physical education and a course in coaching at the National Institute of Sports (NIS) here. He became the chief coach of the national federation, the Amateur Athletics Federation of India, in 1970. Saini received the Dronacharya Award in 1997 for his contribution to Indian athletics. He was the chief coach of the Indian athletics team which won 18 medals, including eight golds, at the 1978 Asian Games.

Advisory role

‘Saini Saab’, as he was fondly called by the Indian athletics community, was involved with coaching until 2004, and after that he became an adviser of the Athletics Federation of India. He competed in hurdles in his young days and some of India’s finest athletes were trained by him at NIS and national camps.

Saini was the one who encouraged Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, who won an Asian Games gold medal in 1962, to take up decathlon. Legendary marathon runner Shivnath Singh was among other illustrious athletes coached by Saini. — PTI