Teeing ground: When Ram Ramesh got Gary Sobers to play golf

CHENNAI: GOLFERS are a sports-loving fraternity. Informed analyses of most sporting events and gamesmen is par for the course. Cricket is an organic subject for them and the recent rains in the city, the Asia Cup and upcoming World Cup matches, had everyone talking of Ram Ramesh, the banker, state cricketer, golfer, sports administrator and the life and soul of a party.

He was also the man who brought GarySobers to play a friendly round of golf in the city. A day later, Sobers went to his house, on Spur TankRoad, to pay his last respects to Ram Ramesh, he had died early morning on October 20, 1998, aged56, leaving everyone shell-shocked.

SOBERS AND GOLF

Sobers played many sports, including table tennis. However, the GOAT (Greatest of All Times) himself said, “Golf is the best sport I have ever played”. Having taken to golf decades earlier, during the Windies tour of Australia, he enjoyed a round or two whenever he could. In 1998, he was happy when Ram Ramesh, a 14 handicapper, arranged a four ball with Ramamurthy and KC Raghunathan

(KCR). “It was a fantastic experience. Sobers was ambidextrous and was a long hitter. He played very well. He was a treat to watch. I managed to hold my game and Sobers lost to me. I accepted a one dollar bill from Sobers, who autographed it for me, and there were plenty of good vibes, thanks to Ram Ramesh,” recalls KCR, the Associate Secretary, Cosmo TNGF.

RACOUNTEUR, GO GETTER

Senior golfer Ashok Viswanathan says Ram Ramesh was a gifted negotiator and combined well with Asif Iqbal, way back when the Sharjah cricket tournaments were at a nascent stage. As Secretary,

Madras Cricket Club (MCC), Ram Ramesh successfully negotiated the lease renewal. “When Sobers came to play golf here that October, Susie and her husband Kurien owned the only buggy in the entire golf course. Thanks to Ram Ramesh, they allowed Sobers to use it.” Ashok also recalls that Sobers enjoyed only Gin with Angosutra bitters; while the bar in Travancore Pavilion, Cosmo Golf annexe, had gin, angostura had to be brought from KCR’s stock.

Naturally, Ram was the life and soul of the party. “A multi linguist, he was a great entertainer. He skilfully avoided character assassination while narrating anecdotes” says KCR. “Once, when we hosted a party for a very senior Defence personnel who was being transferred, Ram Ramesh spoke non-stop for two hours, regaling us with stories from his globe-trotting days-he did not repeat a single story.” Ram Ramesh who played the Gopalan Trophy - the Tamil Nadu vs Sri Lanka tournament that was halted after Sri Lanka qualified as a Test playing nation— used to say that Lankans were cricket mad and many spent their money, travelled to Madras to watch the match live. A crowd of 5000 was not uncommon in those days.

ASIF IQBAL AND SHARJAH COVER

After being a banker with Indian Overseas Bank, he worked in Sharjah and “was instrumental in the growth of international cricket there,” says Ashok. “Ramesh made the ruler of Sharjah fall in love with cricket and the rest is history.” He had many friends and cricket was always on his mind. In 1985, when my husband mentioned the tarpaulin covers being made by his firm, Ram took a sample of the rainproof pitch cover with him to Sharjah for the India-Pakistan tournament. As it happened, it rained, and the cover was deployed, with Asif Iqbal commentating, “Tarpaulin covers made by Sri Ram Fibres, is being used to safeguard the pitch.”

SELF TAUGHT GOLFER

Ram Ramesh played golf as he played cricket, from instinct, not coaching, says KCR. “He always said, “Let’s play off the back foot golf,” he recalls. Decades after his passing he is very much alive in the memories of fellow golfers and cricketers and bankers.