VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Aug 16: The sudden demise of former IPS officer and cricket administrator Amitabh Choudhary (62) on Tuesday morning has left the sport fraternity of Jharkhand shocked.
His last rites are likely to be performed on Wednesday at Harmu cremation ground. Before the cremation his body will be kept at the JSCA ground for the public to offer tribute to him from 6 AM till 12 in the afternoon. His son Abhishek Choudhary is rushing to Ranchi to perform the last rites of his father.
“Abhishek will take a call in this matter in consultation with his mother Nirmala Kaur. The cremation is likely to take place in Ranchi. Nirmala Kaur was at the hospital when Amitabh Choudhary was declared dead. His daughter known as Kidlu in the family is also set to arrive,” said a close relative of Amitabh Choudhary. Nirmala Kaur, who is also an IPS officer, was living separately after divorce.
People associated with him remembered many traits that made this cop one of the finest cricket administrators of India. He served as president of the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) besides secretary of the BCCI. He remained associated with the BCCI in various capacities.
‘One day this boy will play international match’: Amitabh Choudhary had a forecast about MS Dhoni
Former Ranji player Anwar Mustafa recollected one such incident when Amitabh Choudhary accurately predicted about Mahendra Singh Dhoni going to play international cricket.
“Dhoni was in the nascent phase of his career and he was playing Ranji tournament. A brief news was published about Dhoni. About Dhoni, Amitabh Choudhary told me that he was regularly watching his game and he told me that Dhoni has the potential to become a gem of cricket and one day this boy will play internationally. His prophecy came true,” said Anwar Mustafa.
Anwar Mustafa said that Amitabh Choudhary closely watched the gaming style of Dhoni.
“Dhoni frequently met Amitabh Choudhary whenever they happened to be in Ranchi. I saw Amitabh Choudhary appreciating him for his good shots and also cautioned when Dhoni played bad shots and lost. He was like a guardian and Dhoni a younger brother,” said Anwar Mustafa.
He said that Amitabh Choudhary was a strict disciplinarian. “He was disciplined and professional throughout. He kept a close watch on the performance of players and used to instruct them. There were occasions when he slammed some of the players for their poor performance and ensured they improved,” he said.
When Amitabh Choudhary defeated minister Sudesh Mahto
“His death is a personal loss for me. It is like a cricket wizard leaving the ground after playing an eventful inning. Even the standing ovation will be too small a tribute for him who gave cricket a new height in Jharkhand. His death is a huge loss for cricket,” said AJSU Party chief and former deputy chief minister of Jharkhand Sudesh Mahto.
Recollecting his association with Amitabh Choudhary, the former minister said that they were good spirited rivals.
Sudesh Mahto was the home minister when Amitabh Choudhary defeated him in the election for the post of president of Jharkhand State Cricket Association in 2005.
“But that was part of the sport and both of us maintained a sportsman spirit. We always maintained a very cordial relation and used to talk on common issues. He was instrumental behind developing cricket infrastructure in Ranchi and he had plans for Bokaro also. But unfortunately, he is no more with us,’ said Sudesh Mahto.
Asked in what role he liked Amitabh Choudhary the most Sudesh Mahto said that he has a multifarious personality. “I have seen him as a cop, in the role of administrator as director of the sports department, handling cricket as JSCA president and BCCI secretary. He always acclimatized himself to new roles and challenges,” he said.
From a cop to cricketer Amitabh Choudhary’s association with cricket in Ranchi
Former BCCI observer and an avid cricketer Sunil Singh recollected Amitabh Choudhary as a perfectionist. “Amitabh Choudhary joined Ranchi SP in 1997 and soon emerged as a celebrated cop. I was associated with the Ranchi Cricket Association. We invited him to our sports activities and he always participated so actively. We used to say that Amitabh Choudhary should have been a cricketer not a cop. But he was both,” said Sunil Singh.
Sunil Singh said later on he was transferred to Jamshedpur but he remained associated with the Ranchi Cricket Association and later became its office bearer. In 2000 he unsuccessfully contested the election of Bihar State Cricket Association. He rose to become JSCA president and BCCI secretary.
An international cricket stadium in Ranchi
“Jharkhand gave MS Dhoni to the world of cricket but we had no cricket ground. Amitabh Choudhary chased the dream of a cricket stadium of international standard. We used to visit different sites to select for the proposed stadium. HEC had a lot of land in the heart of Ranchi. Once I asked him to write a letter to the CMD of HEC G. K. Pillai. I told him that Pillai sahib is a sports lover and if requested for land he would not deny. And the same thing happened. Pillai sahib gave his consent. If Ranchi has a stadium, it was due to the vision of Amitabh Choudhary,” said Sunil Singh.
When Amitabh Choudhary made barat like arrangement for first international cricket match in Ranchi
The first international cricket match was organized at this stadium on January 19, 2013. The match was held between India and England only a day after the stadium was inaugurated.
“He was busy and worried like the father of a bride. He gave me the task to make arrangements for cobblers, washermen, carpenters, food and so many other things. Somebody quipped that ‘from cobbler to carpenter is organizing a barat party? To this Amitabh Choudhary retorted that organizing a cricket match is far difficult than organizing a marriage and barat party because you have over two dozen bride and groom (players) besides umpires, coach, physiotherapists and others who are not less than fufa, mama and chacha of dulha. And you have 50000 viewers at the pavilion who are the barat. He was so witty,” recalled Sunil Singh.
Pass the examination if you want to become life time member of JSCA
A former cricketer who did not want to be named said that a time came when politicians, bureaucrats and many other powerful persons started pressurizing him to make them life time members of the JSCA.
“He conducted a competitive examination for aspirants of life time membership. Questions asked in the examination were like ‘who was the sister of Lord Ram? He had set questions. You don’t know what he is going to do,” said the cricketer
He was a cop who never slept: former advocate general RS Majumdar
R, S. Majumdar and Amitabh Choudhary were the brother-in-law (sadhu). R. S. Majumdar said that when Amitabh Choudhary was the SP of Ranchi, he always found him patrolling at night. “Often, I used to return home late at night after attending some functions and I always found him patrolling at night. He was full of energy and committed towards his duty. Be it policing or cricket he worked as a perfectionist. If you remember the fate of 34thNational Games in Jharkhand was in limbo due to mismanagement. Ultimately, Amitabh Choudhary was brought and he smoothly conducted the games,” said Majumdar.
