 |
| Maj Gen Dr CK Lakshmanan 5 April 1898 - 03 October 1970 |
Born on 5
April 1898, in the coastal embrace of Payyambalam, Kannur, Lakshmanan belonged
to the sprawling Cheruvari Kottieth family - more than three hundred strong.
They were not just kin, but a sporting fraternity, fielding teams in football,
hockey, and cricket with discipline and flair. Athletics, for Lakshmanan, was
not a pursuit, it was inheritance.
From this
lineage came stories both poignant and proud. Ravi Bhaskar, a descendant,
recalls Choyi Butler, his great-grandfather, who ran Choyi’s Hotel in Kannur.
The name lives on today as Choice Hotel, but the legacy runs far deeper. Choyi
married both an Indian woman and a white lady, fathering children through both
unions. For years, the white side of the family stood outside the ancestral
home, until time softened the walls. From that union emerged Olympians,
generals, and the founding spirit behind General Raj’s School in Delhi.
As a googly
bowler in cricket, he represented the Indians in Madras, and legend has it that
he bowled three maiden overs to Jack Hobbs, the English master, during a tour
arranged by the Maharaja of Vizianagaram. That duel was not just sport, it was a
statement.
By the early
1920s, Lakshmanan had emerged as one of India’s finest hurdlers. At the
inaugural All-India National Athletic Meet in Delhi (1924), he won gold in the
120-yard hurdles, sealing his place in history. That victory earned him a spot
in India’s eight-member team for the Paris Olympics.
The 1924 Games
hosted 44 nations, with 3,089 athletes competing across 23 disciplines.
Lakshmanan lined up for the 110-metre hurdles, clocking 16.4 seconds in the
heats. He did not advance, but his presence was profound. He became the first
Malayali to compete at the Olympics, carrying Kerala’s sporting spirit into the
global arena. India returned without medals, but with pride. In a colonised
nation, participation itself was a declaration of identity.
Scholar, Sportsman, Surgeon
Lakshmanan’s early education began at Kannur Municipal School, followed by Madras Christian College, and then Madras Medical College, where he earned his professional qualification. But his heart beat to the rhythm of sport. He played tennis with elegance, cricket with fire, and pursued athletics with devotion.From Track to Healing
Lakshmanan soon traded his spikes for a stethoscope. After completing higher studies in England, he returned to serve the Indian Army, rising to the rank of Major General. He later became Director General of Health Services under the British regime. In May 1956, he was elected to the executive board of the World Health Organisation, a role shaped by his close bond with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. From July 1958 to April 1969, he served as Secretary General of the Indian Red Cross and Executive Officer of the International Red Cross. His service was not a chapter, it was a legacy.Family and Final Years
He married Sarojini, daughter of Justice Krishnan of the Madras High Court. Together, they raised Sreelatha Khatri, Ram, and Jaikrishnan, and lived in Delhi. On 3 October 1970, he passed away at the age of 72.Legacy in Bronze and Memory
In 2008, a half-figure statue of Lakshmanan was unveiled opposite Jawahar Stadium, Kannur, by Olympian footballer O. Chandrashekhar. His daughter, Sreelatha Khatri, and other kin attended. The tribute was organised by the Football Front Free Coaching Centre - not as nostalgia, but as continuity. Today, we do not mourn. We remember. Lakshmanan’s name lives not in silence, but in motion: in hurdles cleared, in cricketing duels, in the healing of bodies, and in the torch he lit for Kerala. His life was a confluence of play and prayer, sport and service. In this tribute, offered two days after his death anniversary, we honour not just a man, but a movement.References
- Wikipedia - Cheruvari Lakshmanan/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheruvari_Lakshmanan
- Olympedia – Cheruvari Lakshmanan/ https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/71393
- Sportskeeda – C. K. Lakshmanan: Kerala’s First Olympian/ https://www.sportskeeda.com/sports/ck-lakshmanan-kerala-s-first-olympian
- ESPNcricinfo – C. K. Lakshmanan: First-class cricket career/ https://thebridge.in/cricket/indian-olympians-who-played-first-class-cricket/
- Kerala Olympic Association – Olympians from Kerala/ https://keralaolympic.org/olympyans.php
- Geni.com – Major General Dr. C. K. Lakshmanan/ https://www.geni.com/people/Major-General-CK-Lakshmanan-FRCP/6000000003104938679
- Interviews with relatives and locals
Coming up next: SUNDAY FIELD & FLAME – 12 October 2025:
Kerala Sports Day: From G.V. Raja’s Vision to Science and the Futures
