Keralite, who brought warring Paes and Bhupathi together, passes away

Thrissur: In the early 2000s, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, arguably the best doubles tennis pair India has ever produced, had a fallout and there was much speculation about the fragility of their relationship. However, both of them were included in the Indian team for the Davis Cup tie against New Zealand in 2004. The tennis authorities were skeptical of the team's chances due to the strained relation between the country's top tennis stars.

T D Francis, 78, who passed away in Thrissur on Tuesday night, was instrumental in bringing the two together for the tournament as Paes and Bhupathi, nicknamed "Indian Express", buried their hatchets for a while to play for the country.

Francis, who was a good sports administrator and one of Kerala's finest sports organisers, was the Indian Davis Cup team's manager then. It was one of the many instances when Francis's excellent people management skills came to the fore.

Francis, who served as an executive member and treasurer of the All India Tennis Association (AITA) for thirty-two years, was also a former secretary of the Kerala Tennis Association (KTA).

After working as the treasurer and executive member of the AITA for sixteen years each, he became a life-time member of the national body. A former professor of physical education at St. Aloysius College, Francis was the KTA secretary when Kerala hosted the state's first satellite international tennis tournament in 1984. He played a vital role in setting up five tennis courts of international standards at the Veterinary College in Mannuthy.

After his maiden effort came in for much praise, Francis got the opportunity to organise and supervise several major tennis tournaments across the country.