Suresh Kalmadi Age, Death, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About Suresh Kalmadi

• Suresh Kalmadi’s parents were originally from Mangalore. His ancestors were landlords in Mangalore, but his father came to Mumabi to study medicine and settled in Pune later as he liked the city’s atmosphere.

• His father wanted him to become a doctor, but he had no interest in studying medicine.

• In 1960, he joined the National Defence Academy and was commissioned as a pilot in the Indian Air Force in 1964.

• He served in the Indian Air Force from 1964 to 1972 and later worked as an instructor at the NDA from 1972 to 1974.

• He retired from the Indian Air Force as a Squadron Leader after completing his service and instructional tenure.

• To celebrate his retirement party, he sent invitation cards to his friends in the shape of a shehnai, featuring his photo in IAF uniform on one side and in civilian dress on the other.

• He maintained discipline even after his retirement and used to wake up at 4:30 am, study paperwork or other files from 5-7 am, jog for 30 minutes, and then start his day at 8 am.

• In 1977, he became President of the Indian Youth Congress in Pune, marking the start of his political career. From 1978 to 1980, he served as President of the Maharashtra Youth Congress.

• During a demonstration in the 1970s against Morarji Desai, then Prime Minister of India, Kalmadi and his associates stopped Desai’s car.

• Someone from his group threw a slipper at PM, but the media reported that Kalmadi threw it, following which he became famous.

• He also operated many businesses, which included Pune Coffee House and a Maruti service station, which he set up with the help of his brother, an automobile engineer.

• In 1980, as President of the Maharashtra Athletics Association, he conducted marathon trials for India’s Moscow Olympics team. These efforts later led to the establishment of the Pune International Marathon.

• He was a Rajya Sabha member for three terms from 1982 to 1996, and again briefly in 1998.

• In 1989, he became Chairman of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation and started the annual Pune Festival with the help of former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar.

• From 1995 to 1996, he served as Minister of State for Railways under Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao. In 1996, he presented the Railway Budget as part of his ministerial responsibilities.

• In 1998, he formed his own political party, Pune Vikas Aghadi.

• He was elected again to the Lok Sabha in 2004, representing the Pune constituency. His wife, Meera, also helped him and worked for the betterment of poor people living in Pune slums.

• From 1996 to 2012, he served as President of the Indian Olympic Association.

• Between 2000 and 2013, he served as President of the Asian Athletics Association and was later named Life President in 2015.

• In March 2003, his daughter Payal got married to businessman Aditya Bhartia. Later, it was reported that someone stole a brooch worth Rs 4 lakh from the groom’s headgear.

• In 2007, the Indian Olympic Association signed an agreement to bring the Formula One Grand Prix to India.

• Later records showed family-linked companies had shareholding and board roles in the Formula One organising firm JPSK Sports.

• His role in the 2010 Commonwealth Games came under investigation following concerns raised by the Central Vigilance Commission.

• In October 2010, he defied the party whip to give an interview to the India Today media group.

• When the reporter asked questions about corruption charges, he walked out of the interview, saying that he would only answer before the probing committee and complained of a media trial.

• In April 2011, the CBI arrested him in the Timing, Scoring and Results contract case. He was charged with criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, and misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

• In May 2011, the CBI filed a chargesheet naming him the main accused in the TSR contract allocation.

• Following his arrest, his Congress Party membership was suspended, and he was removed as IOA President. He lost the Asian Athletics Association presidency election in July 2013 after holding the position for thirteen years.

• He spent approximately ten months in jail and was later released on bail after paying a court-ordered surety amount.

• In 2012, he was allowed to travel to London for the Olympics but barred from attending the opening ceremony.

• He claimed to suffer from dementia during his jail term, but medical examinations did not conclusively confirm the condition.

• In December 2016, the Indian Olympic Association named him a lifetime patron, which he declined pending legal clearance.

• In January 2019, he was admitted to Ruby Hall Clinic in Pune after falling and hurting his shoulder.

• Suresh Kalmadi died on 6 January 2026 at around 3:30 am after a prolonged illness at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune.

• His last rites were performed the same day at 3:30 pm at the Vaikunth Crematorium in Navi Peth, Pune. He is survived by his wife and children.