Gopal Purushottam Phadke

Gopal Purushottam Phadke was an Indian sports coach from Pune, in the Indian state of Maharashtra.[1] He was a specialist coach of kho kho, a sports of Indian origin as well as of other sports disciplines such as swimming, Mallakhamb and Kabbaddi.[2] After securing a diploma in engineering, he worked at the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), but left the company to take up sports coaching as a full-time job.[1] He was reported to have provided coaching to physically handicapped children in swimming using a custom built tank constructed at his own expense and is credited with efforts in popularising the sport in other countries such as Australia.[2] He was involved with Arya Krida Dharak Mandal, an organization which promoted kho kho and other sports[3] and was a member of the advisory committees of All India Radio, Doordarshan and the selection committee of Dronacharya award.[1] He died on 20 October 2009 at his residence in Pune, succumbing to liver cirrhosis. He received the Dronacharya Award, the highest Indian award for sports coaching, in 2000,[4][5][6] the only coach from the sport of kho kho to receive the award.[2] A former vice president of the All India Association of Dronacharya Awardees,[7] Phadke was honoured by the Government of India in 2003 with Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award.[8]