Malayala Manorama honours Commonwealth Games medallists from Kerala

Kochi: Five Keralites who made India proud by winning medals at the recently-concluded Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games were felicitated by Malayala Manorama at a grand function here on Friday.

As India finished fourth on the podium with an overall medal tally of 61, Malayali athletes accounted for six of them. Eldhose Paul and Abdulla Aboobacker, who won the gold and silver, respectively, in men's triple jump event, long jump silver medalist M Sreeshankar, Treesa Jolly, who brought home the bronze medal in badminton doubles and silver in the mixed team event, and P R Sreejesh, goalkeeper of the hockey team which secured the silver medal, were honoured for their fine show at the quadrennial event.

As a token of appreciation, a gold medal was presented to each of them by Malayala Manorama Editor Philip Mathew. As Treesa was away in Japan attending the BWF World Championships, her father Jolly Mathew, who is also a badminton coach, received the award on her behalf.

Athletics team chief coach P Radhakrishnan Nair, jumps coach S Murali, and weightlifting coach A P Dathan were also felicitated. Malayala Manorama Editorial Director Mathews Varghese and senior sub-editor Ajay Ben spoke on the occasion.

A nostalgic reunion

The event brought together a diverse group, representing various generations of sportspersons, who relived old memories and revelled in the bond they once shared. They laughed, shared memories and clicked selfies, making it a nostalgic reunion. Those who came together to mark the day included Dronacharya Award winner and athletics coach T P Ouseph, Olympian K M Binu, former international athlete Sini Jose, former Indian volleyball players Moideen Naina, S Madhu, and Tom Joseph, former footballers T A Jaffar, C C Jacob, M M Jacob and K A Anson, ex-Indian basketball player Subhash Shenoy, and former Kerala Ranji player and cricket coach P Balachandran.

Walking down memory lane, Naina and Madhu grew nostalgic about the days they shared a room at the Indian camp. "They were truly legends. We were scared to go anywhere near them,' quipped Sreeshankar's mother and former athlete K S Bijimol, drawing laughter from others. Sreeshankar's father and former long jumper Murali was a bundle of energy both on and off the field, recalled Madhu.