Fittingly, glowing tributes were paid to the late S Thyagarajan, whose printed words embellished the world of hockey through multiple Olympics, World Cups, Asian Games, and Champions Trophy editions

The late S Thyagarajan (inset) was critical of India’s performance at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Here, Charanjit Kumar (right) watches Australia’s Trevor King pursue the ball in a match that India lost 2-4 on August 4, 1984. PICS/GETTY IMAGES, BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The game of cricket has been blessed with some fine writers — wordsmiths who can paint a picture of a match to make you feel as if you are sitting beside her or him, witnessing the ebb and flow of the game and the atmosphere that comes with it.

Often, these writers get their share of deserved kudos while others who toil away as well, but for another sport are only read and don’t get spoken about by the public; respect from the practitioners of the sport they cover notwithstanding.

As an example, I’m thinking about S Thyagarajan, the former Deputy Sports Editor of The Hindu, who passed away in Chennai on Monday aged 85. 

Only a certain section of Mumbaikars read The Hindu newspaper, but The Sportstar magazine provided us an opportunity to read Thyagarajan’s hockey reports. If there was a hockey story published, it was a given that the byline at the end would be his.

A couple of ex-India hockey players who I broke the news of his........

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