Syed Modi

Syed Modi
Personal information
Born	1962 Sardarnagar, Gorakhpur district, Uttar Pradesh
Died	28 July 1988 Lucknow
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Country	India
Years active	1976-1988
Coach	Dipu Ghosh [1]
Men's singles
Highest Ranking	No 1. in India [2] (1988)
Title(s)	1982 Commonwealth Games, Men's singles Bronze medal, 1982 Asian Games National Badminton champion (1980-87)
Medal record Competitor for  India Men's Badminton Commonwealth Games Gold 1982 Australia Men's singles Austrian International Gold 1983 Men's singles Gold 1984 Men's singles Asian Games Bronze 1982 Delhi Men's singles

Syed Modi (1962–1988) was an Indian badminton player, and an eight-time National Badminton champion (1980-87). He won the Austrian International in 1983 and 1984 and 1982 Commonwealth Games, Men's singles title.^[3] His play displayed a mix of stylist Suresh Goel, of whom he was a protege, and the effectiveness of Prakash Padukone, whom he succeed as a National Champion.^[4]

Modi was murdered on 28 July 1988 in Lucknow as he came out of the K. D. Singh Babu Stadium after a practice session. After his death, a badminton tournament was constituted in his memory, "Syed Modi Memorial", All India Syed Modi badminton championship hosted each year at Lucknow,^[5] which turned into "Syed Modi International Challenge" in 2004, and starting December 2009 it would turn into "Syed Modi Grand Prix", organized by Badminton Association of India.^[6][7] The Railways of which he was an employee, opened the Syed Modi Railway stadium and auditorium at his native place, Gorakhpur.^[8]

Early life and education

Syed Modi was born in 1962, in a lower middle-class Muslim family, in the town of Sardarnagar, 5 km from Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh, where he was brought up and received his education. He was born Syed Mehdi but while playing a junior tournament in Mumbai his surname was wrongly written as Modi, which thereafter was continued to be used by him.^[2]

Career

He worked with NE Railways as a Welfare Officer, in Gorakhpur and later shifted to Lucknow. Syed Modi became junior national champion in 1976 and trained under P.K. Bhandari till 1982, and thereafter under Dipu Ghosh, National Coach of Indian team.^[1][9]

In time, he became eight-time national badminton champion; won the Austrian International in 1983 and '84; won singles bronze in '82 Asian Games and received the Arjuna Award in 1981. At 1982 Commonwealth Games, he beat England's Nick Yates, 7-15, 15-5, 15-7 to take home the Men's singles crown.^[10] He later married Amita, a fellow badminton player.

Modi was shot dead on 28 July 1988 evening at the age of 27, as he was coming out of KD Singh Babu stadium, Lucknow after a routine practice. A brilliant career was cut shot and a severe blow was dealt to badminton in India as Modi was touted to be a superstar like Prakash Padukone.^[1]

Murder case

The scandal surrounding Modi's murder attracted worldwide attention^[11] and remains unsolved with those charged having been set free.Doubts have been raised against Modi's wife Amita and her alleged paramour Sanjay Singh, an Indian politician, a former Janata Dal Rajya Sabha member and a Congress Party Lok Sabha member from Amethi, politician Akhilesh Singh, and Akhilesh's henchmen — Bhagwati Singh alias Pappu, Jitendra Singh alias Tinku, Amar Bahadur Singh and Balai Singh. The UP government recommended a CBI probe into the case, which in turn named the seven in its chargesheet filed on 7 Nov 1998. While Amita, Sanjay and Akhilesh were chargesheeted for conspiracy, the others were named for executing the act. Amita and Sanjay Singh challenged the chargesheet, before the sessions judge who dropped the case against them on Sept 17, 1990. Amita eventually married Sanjay Singh and changed her name from Amita Modi to Amita Singh. Akhilesh was exonerated by Allahabad High Court in 1996, subsequently all the three discharges were upheld by the Supreme Court. Out of the remaining four accused Amar Bahadur Singh was murdered and Balai Singh died during the course of trial, thus the remaining two accused, Bhagwati Singh and Jitendra, were put on trial by the CBI, though Jitendra Singh was also exonerated later.^{[2][12][13][14]}

On 22 August 2009, nearly two decades after the murder the accused Bhagwati Singh, the lone surviving accused, was found guilty on two counts under Section 302 (murder) and Section 27 (possessing illegal arms) of IPC, by a Lucknow sessions court, which sentenced him to life imprisonment though the CBI had sought death sentence for him, plus from the life sentence, he was also given Rs 40,000 fine as also five years' RI and Rs 10,000 fine for recovery of unauthorized weapon from his possession.^[2][15]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Modi flexing is muscles in the wings". New Strait Times. 16 May 1980. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NK4TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mY4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6558,3029621&dq=syed+modi. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "Syed Modi case closed, motive unclear". The Times of India. 21 August 2009. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/Syed-Modi-case-closed-motive-unclear/articleshow/4924025.cms. Retrieved 23 August 2009. 
3. ^ "Pawar Clinches Austrian Open". The Hindu. 25 February 2008. http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/25/stories/2008022554131800.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-03. 
4. ^ "A dream that came true". The Hindu. 13 February 2007. http://www.hindu.com/br/2007/02/13/stories/2007021300361600.htm. Retrieved 23 August 2009. 
5. ^ Express News Service (8 December 2007). "Aparna Popat Regains His Crown at Syed Modi Badminton Tourney". http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=110341. Retrieved 2008-03-03. 
6. ^ "First Syed Modi International tourney from Dec 8". Indian Express. 6 December 2004. http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=109299. Retrieved 23 August 2009. 
7. ^ ""Also the Syed Modi Grand Prix will be organised every year starting from December this year,"..". Zee News. 27 March 2009. http://www.zeenews.com/sports/others/2009-03-27/518635news.html.. Retrieved 23 August 2009. 
8. ^ "the 54th Railway Week prize distribution function held in the auditorium of Syed Modi Railway stadium,..". The Times of India. 11 April 2009. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Varanasi/Railway-staff-awarded/articleshow/4389425.cms. Retrieved 23 August 2009. 
9. ^ "NSNIS chief badminton coach Bhandari retires". Indian Express. 4 May 2006. http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=180763. 
10. ^ "Smaller countries winning medals". The Spokesman-Review. 9 October 1982. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9vgRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mO4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7003,3704365&dq=syed+modi. 
11. ^ Bernard Weinraub (28 August 1998). "India Murder Scandal Mixes Sex and Politics". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE7DF123CF93BA1575BC0A96E948260. Retrieved 2008-03-03. 
12. ^ "Court Dismisses CBI Appeal in Syed Modi Murder Case". The Hindu. 9 December 2004. http://www.hindu.com/2004/12/09/stories/2004120903671200.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-03. 
13. ^ "Life term for one in Syed Modi murder case". The Hindu. 23 Aug 2009. http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/23/stories/2009082356321800.htm. Retrieved 23 August 2009. 
14. ^ "Love all !!". Hindustan Times. http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/specials/proj_tabloid/photofeature191202.shtml. Retrieved 23 August 2009. 
15. ^ "Killer of badminton player Syed Modi gets life imprisonment". Hindustan Times. 22 August 2009. http://www.hindustantimes.com/News/lucknow/Killer-of-badminton-player-Syed-Modi-gets-life-imprisonment/Article1-445910.aspx. 

Persondata
Name	Modi, Syed
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1962
Place of birth	Sardarnagar, Gorakhpur district, Uttar Pradesh
Date of death	23 July 1988
Place of death	Lucknow