Former Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president and veteran sports administrator Suresh Kalmadi passed away at a hospital here in the early hours of Tuesday. He was 81.

Kalmadi, who had been unwell for some time, died around 3.30 am. He is survived by his wife, a son and daughter-in-law, two married daughters and a son-in-law, along with his grandchildren.

A dominant presence in Indian sports administration for more than two decades, Kalmadi served as the IOA president from 1996 to 2011, making him one of the longest-serving heads of the country’s apex Olympic body.

Born in 1944, Kalmadi began his professional career as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force and took part in both the 1965 and 1971 wars. He later transitioned into politics and sports administration, steadily building influence in both domains.

He represented Pune in the Lok Sabha on multiple occasions as a Congress leader and also served as a Union minister, while simultaneously strengthening his standing in national and international sports organisations.

During his tenure as IOA president, Kalmadi wielded significant influence at a time when Indian sport was expanding its presence on the global stage. He also served as president of the Asian Athletics Association and was a member of the IAAF Council, positioning him among India’s most influential sports administrators internationally.

Under his leadership at the IOA, India achieved a landmark moment at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when shooter Abhinav Bindra won the country’s first-ever individual Olympic gold medal. Kalmadi was also the chairman of the Organising Committee for the 2010 Commonwealth Games hosted in Delhi.

Beyond national and international roles, Kalmadi was closely associated with the development of athletics and sports infrastructure in Pune. He played a key role in initiatives such as the Pune International Marathon, which went on to become a regular fixture on the Indian road-running calendar.