MAM Ramaswamy passes away

84-year-old turf baron, ailing for some time from a liver problem, died of multiple organ complications in Chennai on Wednesday

Update: 2015-12-03 01:47 GMT
M.A.M. Ramaswamy
ChennaiM.A.M. Ramaswamy, scion of the House of Chettinad and India’s leading racehorse owner, died in a private hospital in Chennai Wednesday. The 84-year-old industrialist, educationist, philanthropist, MP (Rajya Sabha)  representing Karnataka and Chairman of the Madras Race Club, was ailing for some time from a liver problem and died of multiple organ complications. His funeral will take place on Sunday.
 
Ramaswamy was Chairman of Chettinad Cements, the flagship of the group which did business in many of sectors including shipping, until he was dethroned by his former adopted son M.A.M.R. Muthiah. 
 
The feud between father and son had ended with Ramaswamy declaring through Deccan Chronicle that Muthiah should not light his funeral pyre. A cousin of P. Chidambaram, former Union finance and home minister and A.C. Muthiah, retired head of SPIC group of industries, Ramaswamy was a flamboyant racehorse owner whose fame spread far beyond India as his thoroughbreds won more than 600 Indian classics like 1000 Guineas, 2000 Guineas,  Derby races and the Indian Turf Invitation Cup. A great lover of sport, he was head of the Indian Hockey Federation in the ‘70s and India won the World Cup in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia in 1975 and the Olympic gold in Moscow in1980 when he was headings IHF.
 
He was instrumental in Chennai hosting many international events, including a famous Davis Cup match against Australia at the cricket stadium in Chepauk, which was once under the control of his uncle M.A. Chidambaram, President of BCCI. Said to have been worth anywhere up to Rs 6,000 crores, Ramaswamy leaves behind no heir but had made over all his property to two charitable trusts to be managed by his cousin A.C. Muthiah.
 
Known as “Monarch Among Monarchs” in racing circles, he was a controversial chairman of MRC, which became a virtual monopoly in his regime to the extent of famous trainers shying away from bringing their horses here to compete. 

 

 

Download the all new Deccan Chronicle app for Android and iOS to stay up-to-date with latest headlines and news stories in politics, entertainment, sports, technology, business and much more from India and around the world.

Similar News