VIJAYAWADA: It is rare for a man of 26 summers to achieve excellence in his sport and then pass on something of his passion to the next generation. Cherukuri Lenin did all of that in his 26 summers.
It’s hard to believe that the former international archer and successful coach is no more, killed in a tragic car crash hours after his finest hour was honoured in a felicitation by the state government. Three of his proteges who had won silvers at the Commonwealth Games, Ritul Chatterjee, Ch Jignas and Chinna Raju, were honoured last night and Lenin was warmly cited for mentoring them to fruition.
On the wee-hour drive back to his academy in Vijayawada, his car crashed into a road divider on national highway 9 at Jupudi village at 1.30 am today. Ritul Chatterjee, who was in the car, miraculously escaped unhurt.
Lenin was at the wheel. Ritul, his father Cherukuri Satyanarayana and a friend Kalyan were in the car. Recalling the horror, Ritul said they had reached the outskirts of Vijayawada and were passing over a sheet of water on the highway when Lenin tried to swerve past an autorickshaw. The vehicle skid and veered to the right and crashed into the divider. It flipped over onto the other side and Lenin was ejected from the vehicle.
The four passengers were miraculously unhurt. Recovering from the shock, they tried to attend to the coach, who was bleeding profusely. He died 15 minutes later, before an 108 ambulance arrived.
Sports personalities who had been with Lenin at the government’s felicitation for CWG medal winners and coaches on Saturday night were stunned by the news. Saina Nehwal said he had been all smiles at the function, having a long chat with her parents and goading her to work harder to become world no. 1.
His proteges and peers from the archery community warmly remembered his contribution to their sport. Lenin’s passion for passing on his skills to the next generation was encompassed in the Volga Archery Academy. The academy was more than a coaching centre for him. It was set up by his father Ch Satyanarayana, an ardent archery fan and official, in memory of his daughter Volga, who too died in a mishap four years ago. Lenin’s commitment to the academy must surely have stemmed from the love of his sister.
As the names of the Cherukuri son and daughter, Lenin and Volga, indicate, the family were followers of Marxism with a strong family tradition of support to the CPI in Vijayawada.
Something of the ideology’s concern for the poor was strongly evident in Lenin’s approach to the sport.
A coach with passion, Lenin produced many national and international archers at the academy where 80 students train under his eye.
Lenin was himself a talented archer.
He retired from the sport two years ago, after winning several medals in national and international events, including Asian Archery competitions.
