Syed Modi was an eminent Indian badminton player. He earned recognition at a very early age. He became junior national Badminton champion just at the age of 14. Modi was an eight-time National Badminton champion and was awarded Arjuna Award in 1981. However, his bright career was cut short when he was murdered at the age of 26. The murder of such a great player at a meagre age sent shockwaves throughout India. It had led to a political uproar.
Early Life of Syed Modi
He was born in the year 1962 into a Muslim family in the Muffosil town of Sardarnagar, 5 kilometres from Chauri Chaura in Uttar Pradesh. He grew up there, but his family hailed from Zaidi Sadat Kandipur near Jalalpur town in Ambedkar Nagar District. His father was an employer of Sardarnagar sugar mill and his mother was a housewife. Syed Modi had five brothers and two sisters. He was the youngest one. His elder brothers were not highly educated but they worked hard to provide financial support to their family. Unlike his brothers and sisters, Modi developed an interest in badminton. On seeing his potential of becoming a great player, his brothers started taking care of his badminton coaching expenses. Instead of treating his love for sports as a burden, his brothers financed his training in the hope that their little brother would earn pride to the family and bring happiness to his parents in their old age, after a long struggle of poverty. Academically, Modi was an average student but he gained admiration for his sports abilities. His open and warm nature made him popular in his school.
Badminton Career of Syed Modi
In a very short period of time, Modi proved his brothers right. In the year 1976, Syed Modi became junior national Badminton champion. At that time he was only 14 years. The same year, Modi started training under the patronage of P.K. Bhandarim. The training continued till 1982. Thereafter, Dipu Ghosh, National Coach of Indian team started sharpening his badminton skills.
Modi was playing pretty well and in the year 1980, he grabbed the national badminton championship. In the same year, he was given a paying job as a Welfare Officer in the Indian Railways (NE).
Syed Modi mastered the skill of badminton sport so well that he went on winning championship after championship in row. He grabbed the national badminton championship every single year between 1980 and 1987. His performance started going downhill only in 1987-88 when his marriage was in trouble. Modi lost the national badminton championship in 1988. It was the first time that he lost any national level tournament. A few months later, he was murdered.
Marriage of Syed Modi
He married Ameeta, his fellow badminton player. In May 1988, they became proud parents of a baby daughter whom they named Aakanksha. Right after two months, on the evening of 28 July, he was murdered. Modi was shot dead as he was coming out of KD Singh Babu Stadium, after a practice session and was about to start his scooter. He was just 26.
The police filed murder charges against Modi`s wife Ameeta and her lover Raja Sanjay Singh, a congress leader. According to police, he was killed by hired killers.
Memorial Tournament in Honour of Syed Modi
After his death, a badminton tournament was constituted in his honour, Syed Modi Memorial. All India Syed Modi badminton championship was hosted each year at Lucknow. It turned into "Syed Modi International Challenge" in the year 2004.
Achievements of Syed Modi
•Syed Modi is an eight-time National Badminton champion (1980-87).
•The Government of India honoured him with the Arjuna Award in 1981.
•He won the Austrian International in 1983 and 1984.
•He won the Men`s singles title at the 1982 Commonwealth Games.
•He also won the bronze at the men`s singles event at the 1982 Asian Games.
