Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Jan 16: R N Utchil was the great legend who shone like a star at the Indian Athletic field, in the earlier decades of the last century. This year marks the birth centenary year of the great athlete from the city, who held his ranks for fourteen long years and created wonderful records in the athletic field.
Born in Mangaluru, on October 6, 1916, R N Utchil took to athletics with the same ease as fish swimming in water. Though his participation in sports was successful during his school and college days, he earned fame, when he participated in an open event, in Mumbai in the year 1938. Then on, Utchil’s name was always seen in the cover pages of newspapers, throughout his athletic career.
1940, turned out to be the year that marked out his achievements, when he covered his favorite distance of 800 meters in 2 minutes and 1 second, thereby creating a record that remained unbeaten for the next eight years. It was his own pupil, Benson Proudfoot, who broke this record after eight long years. Utchil’s achievement and success, reached its peak, in 1945. It was a memorable year that marked his great feat, when he covered the distance of 400 meter in 50.2 seconds. This record stood unbeaten for many successive years.
From 1938 to 1951, R N Utchil was active in the Bombay Athletic team and was chosen to captian it in 1942. He led the team in the All India Games, held in Ludhiana in 1951. He also represented India in the Indo–Cylone meet, held at Cylone and Bengaluru.
Utchil being an avid reader had a great knowledge of athletics and was rightly called the 'Walking Encyclopedia of Athletics'. All his contemporary athletes gained wide knowledge from him and were indebted to him for his valuable advice in the field. They all learnt a lot from this great teacher. Budding athletes all gathered around him for his teaching and training. He happily took on the responsibility of being a coach for the students of Grant Medical College and Siddhartha College. He desired that Mumbai boys and girls do something worthwhile for the nation. Just as he taught his students to march toward success, he also taught them to regard success and failure in the same light. He was also responsibile in training the university team in athletics.
Utchil was always seen at athletics meets either as a competitor or as an active member. He rejoiced in teaching others on whatever concerned athletics. He had wide knowledge in this aspect. Being well versed in the style and technique of the game he knew all the records established till then in the field.
Having led a happy contented life with his wife Sheela R Utchil and little Raja, his three year old son at Zaveri Nivas, near Opera House, no one dreamt that this vibrant life would come to an end very soon. He was seen as a spectator at the annual athletics meet of Tata Sports Club at the Brebourne Stadium. Affected by a severe attack of typhoid, the year before, he still maintained his enthusiasm in life. When the Bombay Presidency Olympic Association, failed to conduct the Olympic meet, Utchil, along with his comrades, established the Olympic Athletes Union and successfully held the Olympic Athletic meet.
On the morning of March 9, 1952, he suffered an ache in his chest, but did not pay it much attention and went along with his usual routine. While at a game of carrom, with his neighbors after lunch, he felt suddently sick. Due to severe pain in the chest, he fell unconscious. The family doctor tried to revive him with injections, but in vain and Utchil breathed his last.
The sudden departure of this great athlete was reported as an irreversible loss to the field of athletics by all newspapers that day. A great soul who loved athletics with all his heart, who could speak on athletics authoritatively, who rendered his knowledge to one and all freely, suddenly departed to the unknown world. When the sudden death was announced at the Tata Sports Meet at the Brebourne Stadium, it was received with utter shock and grief. Gloom and despair hung heavy on the hearts of his followers and a great number of athletes and fans attended the legend’s last journey. The body draped in National colours and accompanied by a large number of mourners and people who came to pay their last respects, left the residence at 9 pm. He was truly a great soul who dedicated his life to most loved field - sports and to the honor of the nation. Paying due homage to the great legend Jai Hind Sports Club has been conducting the R N Utchil Memorial Sports Meet in his memory every year.
It is only apt that the present generation know the legend born a century ago and created history in the field of athletics in Mumbai.