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{{Short description|Indian sports administrator}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Aspy Adajania
| image = Capt. Aspy Adajania.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1942|5|7|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1994|7|7|1942|5|7|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Budapest]], Hungary
| restingplace =
| restingplacecoordinates =
| othername =
| occupation = [[Indian Army]] officer, sports administrator
| yearsactive =
| known_for = [[International Boxing Association (amateur)|International Boxing Association]] Member, [[Indian Boxing Federation]] President, Bombay Boxing Association Chairman
| spouse = Persis Adajania
| domesticpartner =
| children = Zia Adajania Divan<br/>[[Homi Adajania]]
| relatives = [[Anaita Shroff Adajania]] (daughter-in-law)
| website =
| awards = [[Padma Shri]] (1992)
}}
'''Aspy Adajania''' (1942–1994) was an [[Indian Army]] officer and boxing administrator. He served as a [[Captain (armed forces)|Captain]] in the [[Indian Army Infantry Regiments|Indian Army Infantry]], after retirement from service he became known as a pioneer in the sport of Indian [[amateur boxing]].

==Early life and service==
Adajania was born into a [[Parsi]] family and as indicated by his surname hailed from Adajan, a suburb of [[Surat]] in [[Gujarat]]. Soon after leaving [[St. Xavier's College, Bombay]], Adajania joined the Indian Army on an emergency commission to fight the [[1965 Indo-Pakistani War]] as a Captain of the 5/9 [[Gorkha regiments (India)|Gurkha Battalion]].

==Boxing==
Adajania was president of the [[Indian Boxing Federation|Indian Amateur Boxing Federation]] (IABF) in 1985, 1987, 1990 and 1991 and chairman of the Bombay Boxing Association.<ref name="Boxing ex-official Devine Jones dead">{{cite web|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/boxing-exofficial-devine-jones-dead/645188/|title=Boxing ex-official Devine Jones dead|date=12 July 2010|publisher=Indian Express|access-date=October 20, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Packing a new punch">{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indian-boxers-excel-in-sixth-world-cup-debut/1/315954.html|title=Packing a new punch|date=15 December 1990|publisher=India Today|access-date=October 20, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Boman Irani had a bakery shop">{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Boman-Irani-had-a-bakery-shop/articleshow/6126814.cms|title=Boman Irani had a bakery shop|date=4 July 2010|publisher=Times of India|access-date=October 20, 2015}}</ref>

Adajania is credited with the development of Indian amateur boxing by bringing in Cuban boxing coach, Blas Iglesias Fernandez, the first foreigner to receive the [[Dronacharya Award]] (the highest Indian coaching award), for coaching Indian boxers.<ref name="Surprised to receive the Dronacharya Award, says Fernandez">{{cite web | url=http://zeenews.india.com/sports/softspot/surprised-to-receive-the-dronacharya-award-says-fernandez_747892.html | title=Surprised to receive the Dronacharya Award, says Fernandez | publisher=Zee News | date=24 August 2012 | access-date=October 20, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Bhiwani via Havana">{{cite web | url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/article283186.ece?service=print | title=Bhiwani via Havana | publisher=Indian Express | date=21 November 2010 | access-date=October 20, 2015}}</ref>

Adajania officiated over six Olympic Games (1972 Munich, 1976 Montreal, 1980 Moscow, 1984 Los Angeles, 1988 Seoul, and 1992 Barcelona). He also brought the prestigious [[Boxing World Cup]] to India at a time when international sports of this magnitude were a rarity in the country. Held at the [[Bombay Gymkhana]], Adjania chose [[Boman Irani]] to photograph the event. Irani would later go on to become a popular actor in Indian films.<ref name="Boman Irani had a bakery shop"/>

Adajania served as a member of the Executive Committee and the Grievance Committee of the [[International Boxing Association (amateur)|International Boxing Association]] and was the first and only Indian to hold this honour on an international platform.<ref name="Executive Committee AIBA">{{cite web | url=http://library.la84.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1987/ore231/ore231zd.pdf | title=Executive Committee AIBA | publisher=Olympic Information Cente | date=2015 | access-date=October 20, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Anthony Hembrick earlier this week avoided a fight he...">{{cite web | url=http://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/09/19/Anthony-Hembrick-earlier-this-week-avoided-a-fight-he/8399590644800/ | title=Anthony Hembrick earlier this week avoided a fight he... | publisher=UPI News | date=19 September 1988 | access-date=October 20, 2015}}</ref>

Captain Aspy Adajania died on July 17, 1994, while on assignment in Budapest, Hungary at the age of 52.<ref name="Boxing ex-official Devine Jones dead" />

==Awards and recognition==
The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the [[Padma Shri]] in 1992 for his relentless service to Indian sport and commitment to promoting and supporting underprivileged Indian athletes.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=July 21, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=October 15, 2015 }}</ref>

==Personal life==
He was married to Persis Adajania with whom he had two children, Zia Diwan Adajania (d. 2014) and [[Homi Adajania]]. Homi is a well known director of Bollywood films and is the husband of fashion designer [[Anaita Shroff Adajania]].<ref>[https://www.india.com/entertainment/director-homi-adajanias-sister-%E2%80%8Ezia-adajania-divan-passes-away-182991/ Director Homi Adajania's sister Zia Adajania Diwan passes away]. [[India.com]].</ref>

== See also ==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Indian Boxing Federation]]
* [[International Boxing Association (AIBA)]]
* [[Surat district]]
{{div col end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Sports}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adajania, Aspy}}
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in sports]]
[[Category:Boxing people]]
[[Category:1994 deaths]]
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:Indian boxing coaches]]
[[Category:Boxers from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Indian sports executives and administrators]]
[[Category:Indian referees and umpires]]
[[Category:Indian Army officers]]
[[Category:Military personnel of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]
[[Category:Parsi people from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Surat]]

{{India-boxing-bio-stub}}

Aspy Adajania - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 17:23, 13 August 2023