New Delhi: IOC recoganized Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Tuesday condoled the death of its former President Vidya Charan Shukla saying the country has lost an able sports administrator.

V.C Shukla, a former union minister and a veteran congress leader from Chhattisgarh, died this afternoon in a Gurgaon hospital after battling injuries sustained in a deadly naxal attack on a convoy of party leaders on May 25.

“The sporting fraternity will miss his guidance” IOA Acting President Vijay Kumar Malhotra said in a condolence message. ”I have lost a personal friend whose advise I always valued,” he said.

Shukla served as President of the IOA from 1984 to 87.

“In less than two months IOA has lost two of its former presidents. In April B.S.Adityan after protracted illness and now we have lost another stalwart,”.

Shukla 84, who was also the former president of Wrestling Federation of India, was airlifted from Raipur and admitted to the hospital on May 26, a day after the attack in which he sustained severe bullet injuries and was brought in a critical condition.

Prof Malhotra recalled his old association with Shukla saying the former IOA chief was always keen to help the sports persons.

He said that though Shukla was a politician to the core, he always worked for the betterment of sports. “I pray to God to give his family the strength to bear this loss and may he rest in peace,” Prof Malhotra added.

New Delhi: IOC recoganized Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Tuesday condoled the death of its former President Vidya Charan Shukla saying the country has lost an able sports administrator.

V.C Shukla, a former union minister and a veteran congress leader from Chhattisgarh, died this afternoon in a Gurgaon hospital after battling injuries sustained in a deadly naxal attack on a convoy of party leaders on May 25.

“The sporting fraternity will miss his guidance” IOA Acting President Vijay Kumar Malhotra said in a condolence message. ”I have lost a personal friend whose advise I always valued,” he said.

Shukla served as President of the IOA from 1984 to 87.

“In less than two months IOA has lost two of its former presidents. In April B.S.Adityan after protracted illness and now we have lost another stalwart,”.

Shukla 84, who was also the former president of Wrestling Federation of India, was airlifted from Raipur and admitted to the hospital on May 26, a day after the attack in which he sustained severe bullet injuries and was brought in a critical condition.

Prof Malhotra recalled his old association with Shukla saying the former IOA chief was always keen to help the sports persons.

He said that though Shukla was a politician to the core, he always worked for the betterment of sports. “I pray to God to give his family the strength to bear this loss and may he rest in peace,” Prof Malhotra added.