Vilas Menon – the unforgettable legend of Table Tennis
On the occasion of his birth anniversary today, it takes me down memory lane with the unforgettable legend of Table Tennis. I stiill remeber, when Vilas was at his peak form during the 1975 World Championships in Calcutta , there was European dominance, with all leading players playing this game leaving the table far behind, yet controlling the ball well during consistent rallies. And, Vilas not only matched well with them with his type of game; but, also introduced his own deceptive stroke in the form of a backhand jab. People not only came to see his game; for that newly invented stroke; but, for his fighting abilities to snatch the game and match, even after being down in set score. His cool temperament and fair play not only won the hearts of his opponents; but also brought him an award in the form of a fair play trophy.
The tiger who first roared in Mumbai, later went on to become the Punjab da Sher. Vilas shifted to Punjab sometime during 1980, as he was offered a job by PUNWIRE in Chandigarh. He had earlier served for Railways. He used to visit Mumbai to play for Matunga Gymkhana in first division Inter Club matches. In 1981 we faced each other and after the match he specially came to me to appreciate my ball control, as there were plenty of rallies during our match. Though Vilas lived away from Mumbai, his popularity did not diminish. He always used to be surrounded by his well wishers wherever he went. Those days, only cricketers enjoyed the ‘sports celebrity’ status, but Vilas Menon was an exception. He was the only non cricket sportsman who had big fan followers all over India and even at places like Pakistan, UAE and Sri lanka . During the North Zone TT at Dharamshala 1979 and South Zone TT at Bangalore in 1983 I had personally witnessed his fans and well wishers , who used to come to the railway station to receive him and also arrange private vehicles for his hotel – venue to and fro transport.
In 1991, Vilas went to UAE and was a Coach at Dubai’s Al Ahil Club, where he promoted table tennis, by organizing matches of TT stars from India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. On his return to India, Vilas noticed that the interest of the people in game of TT was almost dying off . So, to popularise this game, he organized regular exhibition matches at NSCI and JVPG club, inviting celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Vengsrkar , Kapil Dev, Sanjay Manjrekar, Sachin Tendulkar, Shakti Kappor and many others who responded to his call. Sometime in 90s I met Vilas at a Mumbai club and he invited me to his Dadar Hindu Colony residence when I interviewed him . He spoke about his past memories and his future plans for promoting TT. He asked me to submit the write up to him, as renowned International Sports Journalist Mr. Khalid Ansari whom he had met at Airport few days ago , had promised him to carry n rticle on him in Khaleej Times in UAE.
Vilas passed away in 2002. His untimely death had shocked many TT lovers. Now, his wife Renu( Also a former national level TT player) , son Gaurang and daughter Aaliya, have already launched a trust in his name. Through ‘Vilas Menon Trust’ they are allset to train poor and deserving children. They propose to start a coaching scheme for selected children from Municipal schools, who will be provided with kit, besides training.
Today, on his birth anniversary messages are flowing in on social media from former TT players Rahul Dutta, Rajiv Saikia( Assam), Pramod Soni ( M.P.) and many others from Mumbai recalling their past memories with the legend. The main reason for his friends and well wishers still remembering him is that, besides his stylish game he possessed all those qualities required for good public relations and genuine friendship .