Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under R.N.I 53640/91
Vol. XXVI No. 15, November 16-30, 2016
A sad loss for State sport
by S.R. Suryanarayan
In the recent passing away of Beulah Moses, Tamil Nadu not only lost a veteran sports administrator but also a know-ledgeable athletics coach and, above all, a person who was able to get along admirably with those connected with sports -activity in the State. Beulah was active till a few months before her death. She was 81.
Beulah was from Tirunelveli, but spent most of her life in Madras/Chennai with sports virtually her life. She was a State-level javelin thrower and after her career as a sportswoman ended, her interest shifted to coaching. Joining the NIS was the next step and thereafter she had the opportunity to undergo a 11-month prestigious coaching course in Leipzig (Germany) under a Government of India scholarship.
Well equipped there as a coach, Beulah had a hand in bringing to the forefront -athletes like Anusuya Bai, Balambal, Angel Mary and Beenamol, all of whom excelled in their events in their time. She also had a stint as coach of the Indian team that took part in the Asian athletics meet in the Philippines in the 1970s. She was also in demand when it came to conducting sports meets because of her technical expertise.
Assertive and efficient, Beulah displayed excellent -public relations in dealing with people and situations. She had a friendly nature and a ready smile but could be tough when the situation demanded. The field of coaching helped her rise in stature and, in time she got an opening in the Tamil Nadu Sports Council (later to become the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu). Rising up the ladder thanks to her -result-oriented approach, Beulah went on to become the SDAT’s first General Manager. She should have retired in 1994 but the Chief Minister Jayalali-thaa gave her a one-year extension as a special case since she needed her services with the city getting ready to host the South Asian Federation Games in December 1995.
With her passionate interest in sports, Beulah remained in the forefront of sports activity, particularly at the Nehru Stadium where she could almost always be found. By the amiable manner in which she interacted with the athletes, young and old, she endeared herself to the sports community. Added to that was her quality of taking up responsibilities and conducting various sports meets as a senior official. Whenever she thought of any project she only asked two questions – will it benefit the sport, will it benefit the sportsperson? At sports functions she had a friendly word with everyone and conducted herself with utmost dignity.
When Beulah retired from SDAT she moved to the Chennai Rifle Club (CRC) thanks to the encouragement of Sivanthi Adityan, a former President of the Indian Olympic Association, whose major role in the development of sports, particularly volleyball, is well known. Next to volleyball, shooting was Adityan’s main interest and fully aware of her abilities as an administrator, Adityan utilised her services for CRC activities. In the late 1990s and much of the first decade of the 2000s, it was not uncommon for the sports department in newspaper offices to receive phone calls from Beulah requesting for publication of shooting results that she would have diligently sent in. In fact, she displayed excellent public relations in her dealings with the media, always ready to give any sports-related information that was wanted.
Known mainly for her career in sports administration Beulah was also involved in social activities. For close to a decade she was associated with the Society for the Upliftment of the Economically Backward (SEUB). In fact, she served for a while as President of this -association.
