Crusade of trailblazer for grassroots sport, outdoor pursuits

Entrepreneur Radha Krishnan Nair’s ingenuity to grow sports and recreation in Malaysia is unmatched.

Man for all seasons, Radha Krishnan (right), with archery coaches Hisham Hashim (left), who has been with UFL for 35 years, and Harvey Singh (centre). (Danny Sri pic) PETALING JAYA: When we talk about vital moments in the evolution of the country’s lesser-played sports, Radha Krishnan Nair holds a defining place.

He has attained numerous feats over the past 38 years, approaching each activity with daring. He knows no other way.

Stay up-to-date by following FMT’s Telegram channel Radha Krishnan has taken archery, lawn bowls and dodgeball to students, and helped re-introduce gymnastics as a competitive sport in schools.

On his current watch, Malaysia emerged the maiden Asian dodgeball champions last month after becoming world champions in 2017, 2018 and last year.

Radha Krishnan (centre) presenting a national dodgeball jersey to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad after Malaysia won the world championships last year. (Radha Krishnan pic) The pioneering mark of his company, Universal Fitness & Leisure (UFL) is also evident in outdoor sport, indoor rock climbing, snooker and pool.

His vision of building something from the ground up is fuelled by his love for sport, a desire to bring communities together, an entrepreneurial spirit and self-belief.

Since 1985, the managing director of UFL has given hope to young talents, and produced well-rounded individuals through valuable lessons in team spirit, discipline and social inclusion.

Not much, though, is said today of Radha Krishnan, 67, although he continues to inspire many to think, change and win through various associations.

He expressed concern that the misplaced attitude of chasing for immediate results had created a massive gap between grassroots and the elite in the sports system. “Starting from grassroots is my greatest achievement, although my shareholders say I spend a lot of money on it,” said Radha Krishnan. In a year littered with under-achievements in major sports for Malaysia, this good servant of grassroots sport is my sports personality of 2023. If you love stories about the origins of less popular sports in the country, then hearing the man speak his ideas and reminisce can be captivating. Here are a few tales. Sukom ’98 almost didn’t happen In 1992, Malaysia’s bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 1998 hit a snag after lawn bowls was omitted from the list of sports to be contested. Radha Krishnan said the Commonwealth Games Federation insisted, “no lawn bowls, no games”. A shaken local organising committee turned to Radha Krishnan, who himself did not know anything about the sport. He said he was asked to look into building the lawn bowls ground for the Games, and had to make several trips to Australia to learn about the sport. Australian coaches and administrative professionals were later brought in to set up the sport in Malaysia. As president of the Malaysian Indian Badminton Association, Radha Krishnan (centre) strives to unearth talent, inculcate teamwork and discipline. (Radha Krishnan pic) Radha Krishnan said when Malaysia was awarded the Games in ’93, the Malaysian Lawn Bowls Federation (MLBF) was formed, and he was tasked with planning the infrastructure and coaching structures. He took lawn bowls to schools and colleges, and the sport made its debut at the Malaysia Games (Sukma) a year later in Perak. At the Commonwealth Games competition at the National Lawn Bowls Centre in Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, the country won a silver and two bronze medals. How archery hit bullseye in schools In ’92, when Radha Krishnan spoke to the Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) about the benefits of archery, he was mocked. He said a senior officer called him “mad”, and argued that students would shoot each other with the bow and arrow. Radha Krishnan pleaded with the officer to give him a chance to show how archery could engage the disengaged in sport, and build character through success and achievement in physical activity. The officer relented and told Radha Krishnan to do a demonstration during the MSSM championships at Universiti Utara Malaysia in Sintok, Kedah. “The response was overwhelming and archery at grassroots level was born in the country, at a time when one or two clubs were playing it on a recreational basis,” he beamed. Next, he convinced the ministry of education to make archery a competitive sport at Sukma ’94. Soon, the number of archers nationwide swelled. Radha Krishnan said there were now some 4,000 archers from at least 1,000 schools, and about 1,000 more in universities. He said another reason why parents encouraged their children to play the sport, despite the high cost of equipment, was because it provided a good opportunity to represent Malaysia. ‘Where are the Indian hockey players?’ Seven years ago, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah asked Radha Krishnan: “Where are all the Indian players who used to monopolise the national, state and club teams in the 70s and 80s?” Sultan Abdullah was then Tengku Makhota Pahang and president of the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC), while Radha Krishnan was a vice-president. Radha Krishnan replied that there was a need to go into Tamil schools to identify talent. Sultan Abdullah told him: “Do what you have to do, you have my support.” A programme was initiated jointly with the Malaysian Indian Sports Cultural Foundation (MISCF) to introduce hockey and identify talent in rural Tamil schools in various states. Current UFL chairman, former bodybuilder Malek Noor (left), with Radha Krishnan (centre) and former youth and sports minister Azalina Othman at the launch of the Gym Rakyat programme in 2006. (Radha Krishnan pic) An all-Indian MISCF-UFL team was later formed which finished seventh and sixth in 2016 and 2017 respectively in Malaysian junior hockey league. Radha Krishnan spent RM150,000 of his own money per season, and had to stop financing the team because it had become too costly. “I felt great satisfaction in seeing Indian boys playing hockey, and happier when some of them were picked for their state Sukma teams,” he said. Outdoor exploits After providing youths a new challenge through indoor rock climbing in ’91, Radha Krishan saw immense opportunities for outdoor activities with the opening of the North-South and East-West highways. With family values in mind, he worked with 4-wheel drive expedition companies and resorts located off the highways, to take outdoor sports to another level. He said UFL was the prime mover of glamping and introduced it in Malaysia in 2010 in Janda Baik. “Today, there are many glamping resorts in Malaysia largely because such retreats promote a sense of family togetherness.” Glamping, short for glamorous camping, involves accommodation and facilities more luxurious than those associated with traditional camping. A company of sporting heroes “I love to bring people together,” said Radha Krishnan, whose first job was as a store boy. Today, he has 60 employees, mostly former national and state athletes. He remains very much the template for guiding former athletes to have big careers, and for encouraging them to use what they learned in their playing careers to help a new generation. Radha Krishnan said former bodybuilder Malek Noor began as a marketing executive, and is today chaiman of the company, with 33 years service. Former national lawn bowler Norcigi Norizan Ismail, a UFL employee for 38 years, now general manager of wellness and project development, with Radha Krishnan. (Danny Sri pic) He said 80% of his 60-strong staff have worked for more than 20 years with the company, which celebrated its 38th anniversary in January as a distributor of premier fitness and outdoor brands. Many of his multiracial staff members have worked for him for more than 30 years, some rising from rank and file to hold senior positions in the company, five as general managers. Radha Krishnan, who is married to Irene Paul Ambrose, has no children of his own. “My employees are my kids,” he said.