BHUBANESWAR 28-Mar-2014 207
Odisha lost one of its all-time great sportspersons when former international athlete Hemant Patel passed away at Ispat General Hospital in Rourkela yesterday. He was suffering from kidney ailment. Patel was 51 and survived by his wife Sunanda and two sons _ Roshan and Rahul.
An elite-class long jumper, Patel achieved his career best success by winning gold medal in 1984 SAF Games at Kathmandu and retained it in the next edition at Dhaka next year.
He represented the country in the World University Games at Kobe, Japan in 1985. Earlier in 1984, Patel claimed a bronze medal in Junior International Track & Field Meet at Seoul, South Korea. In the national circuit, he won a total of eight gold, one silver and one bronze medals starting from Bombay Open National Meet in 1984. The state men’s long jump record still stands in his name.
An employee of Rourkela Steel Plant, Patel was honoured with the Biju Patnaik State Sports Award for life-time achievement for the year 2008 at Bhubaneswar on March 5, 2011.
A pal of goom descended on the state athletics fraternity for the premature demise of Patel. Odisha Olympic Association and Athletic Association secretary Asirbad Behera expressed condolence for the passing away of Patel, in whose name the state long jump record still exists.
