Ace para-badminton player Ramesh Tikaram dies of Covid-19

Arjuna awardee and ace para-badminton player Ramesh Tikaram died of coronavirus in a hospital here on Thursday, Para-Badminton India president N C Sudhir said.

"We are sorry to inform you that Ramesh Tikaram passed away this afternoon..." Sudhir said in a statement. Talking to PTI, he said the 51-year-old player, who had fever and cough, was admitted to a private hospital on June 29.

The player is survived by a wife and two children, said Sudhir. One of the sportsman's friends K Y Venkatesh said Tikaram was instrumental in bringing the international para-badminton tournament to the country in 2001.