This story is from April 01, 2022
Ram Autar Mishra
, former hockey coach at Sports College, Lucknow, on Thursday.Associated with many international level players, including Olympians,Mishra
, 89, is known for his simplicity and passion for identifying and grooming hockey players.Despite giving many hockey champions to the nation, Mishra never applied for any award for himself — thus remaining largely unsung except among those who are associated with hockey in some or the other way.“I have trained underRam Autar
Mishra ji between 1980 to 1984. He was my Guru. Whatever I am today is because of him,” said RP Singh, Sports Director, Uttar Pradesh and former International Hockey player.Paying glowing tribute to his coach, Singh said, “Ram Autar ji was unique. He never asked anything for himself. It is very difficult to get a guru like him.”Former national hockey player Rajneesh Mishra also paid tributes to Mishra.“He was my favourite coach. It is very difficult to be a person like him in today's times,” said Rajneesh while recalling an incident when he and his other friends had bunked classes but were caught walking near IT College by Ram Autar Sir.“He not only caught hold of us, gave us a deserving thrashing but brought us back to sports college,” said Rajneesh.“Guru ji did not discriminate against anyone, he used to get everyone to play hockey. Because of him, so many kids like us have made our future in hockey. Because of him, many people could get to join government jobs in sports quota,” he said.Paying his tribute, former Olympian Sujit Kumar said the contribution of Ram Autar Mishra to hockey is unparalleled.“He gave many Olympians to the country, lived a simple life away from fame. I feel he should be given a Dronacharya Award,” said Kumar while describing him as a Dronacharya in true sense.Mishra started his career as a policeman but later joined the Sports College after doing NIS in 1976.Though he retired in 1994, he remained associated with hockey players at Sports College, Lucknow till 2003-04.
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