Sohrab Bhoot
Sohrab H. Bhoot (or Sorabji Bhoot or Sorab Bhoot) was an Indian Olympian administrator and sports administrator in the early and middle 20th century.
(top row, l-to-r:) Shindes, Bannerjee, Navale, Chaugule; (middle:) Bhoot, Fyzle; (seated:) Datar, Kaikadi
His major accomplishments were to serve as:
- Manager of India's first Olympic team at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp. He was also a selector and administrator for the Indian team at many subsequent Olympics.
- President of the National Cycling Federation of India. Bhoot and Jankidas co-founded this national cycling federation in 1946. Under Bhoot's management, the Indian cycling team made its Olympic debut at the 1948 Olympics in London. Bhoot also served as President of the Asian Cycling Federation.
- General Secretary of the Bombay Provincial Olympic Association—in this capacity he was also Organising Secretary for, and played a major role in organising and administering, the 1950 Indian national games (the 14th such national games) at Bombay.
- A key organiser of the 1951 Asian games.
- Secretary of the Technical Committee for the Athletics Federation of India.
- Member of the managing committee of the Indian Olympic Association.
- Editor of the Sports Herald.
Bhoot died on 9 January 1984 at the age of 92. His obituary was carried in the Jam-e-Jamshed, titled "The Grand Old Man of Sports". It noted that Bhoot was "one of the founders of the Olympic Movement in India, he helped put Indian sportsmen on the world field and was responsible for promoting many sports noticeably athletics and cycling." It mentioned his many accomplishments, for example that "He was with the late Melwyn D'Mello (Anthony de Mello), a star organiser of the 1st Asian Games at Delhi." And it highlighted his strong personal traits: 'being of strong character, he never tolerated faulty organisation,' and always 'stood for the just cause of sportsmen.'
