Rishank124 at 03:50, 26 June 2025

2025-06-26T03:50:17Z

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{{short description|Indian volleyball player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = K. Udayakumar
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_date = 1960
| birth_place = [[Mararikulam]], [[Alappuzha]], [[Kerala]], [[India]]
| death_date = 19 September 2014
| death_place = Thiruvananthapuram
| restingplace = Mararikulam, Alappuzha
| restingplacecoordinates =
| othername =
| occupation = Indian Police, ADC to Kerala Governor
| yearsactive =
| spouse = Lekha
| domesticpartner =
| children = Anjali Uday, Pallavi Uday
| parents = Karanuakara Kurup<br>Ammani Amma
| website =
| awards = [[Arjuna Award]], [[G. V. Raja]] Award
}}
'''Karunakarakurup Udayakumar''' was an [[India men's national volleyball team]] player known for his allround skills at offence and defence and a member of the Indian volleyball team during what many consider as the golden era of Indian volleyball.<ref name="Udayakumar will be remembered for his allround skills">{{cite web | url= http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-sports/udayakumar-will-be-remembered-for-his-allround-skills/article6428589.ece | title= Udayakumar will be remembered for his allround skills | work= The Hindu | date=19 September 2014 | access-date=20 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/mp/2004/10/07/stories/2004100701360400.htm|title=King cops plan a comeback|date=7 October 2004|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=21 July 2019}}{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> A former captain of the [[India men's national volleyball team|Indian national volleyball team]], Udayakumar was a member of the team, which included [[Jimmy George]] and [[Cyril C. Valloor]], that won the Bronze medal in the [[1986 Asian Games]] held in [[Seoul]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.qbtpl.net/ioa/new/medal_asian.htm|title=Indian Medal Winners in Asian Games|publisher=[[Indian Olympic Association]]|access-date=17 January 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722064659/http://www.qbtpl.net/ioa/new/medal_asian.htm|archive-date=22 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sportstaronnet.com/tss3251/stories/20091219502502200.htm|title=The prized bronze in Seoul}}</ref><ref name="The Hindu news">{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindu.com/sport/volleyball-player-k-udayakumar-passes-away-in-kerala/article6426368.ece | title=The Hindu news | work=The Hindu | date=19 September 2014 | access-date=20 September 2014}}</ref> Udayakumar played for the [[Kerala Police|Kerala police]] Volleyball team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.keralapolicehistory.com/gllry3.html |title=Kerala Police history |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520004609/http://www.keralapolicehistory.com/gllry3.html |archive-date=2011-05-20 }}</ref> The [[Government of India]], in 1991, honoured his services to Indian volleyball by bestowing on him, the second highest Indian sports award, the [[Arjuna Award]].

==Career==

Udayakumar was active in club level professional volleyball, too. Opening with [[Kerala State Electricity Board]] team, he played for [[Travancore Titanium]], before joining [[Kerala Police]] team, in 1985, where he ended his club career. In between, he also played for a professional team in Qatar for a while.<ref name="Malayala Manorama" />

After retirement as a player, he coached [[Dubai Police]] team and was also active at the organizational level. He was a member of the organising committee for the 2013 National Games held at [[Thiruvananthapuram]] in November – December 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.35thnationalgames.in/index.php/component/content/article/36-games-corpus-/55-orgcommitee|title=Organising committee, National Games|access-date=15 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140630143830/http://www.35thnationalgames.in/index.php/component/content/article/36-games-corpus-/55-orgcommitee|archive-date=30 June 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Udayakumar's job career also followed his club commitments. Starting at Kerala State Electricity Board and a short stint at Travancore Titanium, he joined Kerala Police as a Deputy Superintendent of Police and rose in ranks to become the Aide de Camp to the Governor of Kerala.<ref name="The Hindu news" />

On 19 September 2014, Udayakumar suffered a massive cardiac arrest, while on duty as the aide de camp, and was declared dead, later, at the hospital.<ref name="Udayakumar will be remembered for his allround skills" /> He was married to Lekha, a teacher at the Christ Nagar School, and the couple had two daughters, Anjali and Pallavi.<ref name="Malayala Manorama">{{cite web | url=http://english.manoramaonline.com/news/just-in/ex-volleyball-star-udayakumar-dies.html | title=Malayala Manorama | publisher=Malayala Manorama | date=19 September 2014 | access-date=20 September 2014 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140921013420/http://english.manoramaonline.com/news/just-in/ex-volleyball-star-udayakumar-dies.html | archive-date=21 September 2014 }}</ref>

In 1991, he was conferred with the [[Arjuna Award]] for his contribution to the Indian volleyball.<ref name="The Hindu news" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://yas.nic.in/yasroot/awards/arjuna.htm |title=Arjuna Awardees|date=2014|access-date=17 January 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071225221945/http://yas.nic.in/yasroot/awards/arjuna.htm |archive-date = 25 December 2007}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Jimmy George]]
* [[Cyril C. Valloor]]
{{portal|India}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Udayakumar, K}}
[[Category:Indian men's volleyball players]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:People from Alappuzha district]]
[[Category:2014 deaths]]
[[Category:Volleyball players at the 1986 Asian Games]]
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Volleyball players from Kerala]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1986 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games bronze medalists for India]]
[[Category:Asian Games volleyball players for India]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Arjuna Award]]
[[Category:Asian Games bronze medalists in volleyball]]

K. Udayakumar - Revision history

Rishank124 at 03:50, 26 June 2025