Ranjit Bhatia (27 May 1936 – 9 February 2014) was an Indian athlete and journalist who ran in the

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

and 5000 meters events at the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

Biography

Ranjit Bhatia was born on 27 May 1936. He studied at the

Lawrence School, Sanawar The Lawrence School, Sanawar, is the oldest Co-Ed boarding school in the world near Solan city. Established in 1847, its history, influence, and wealth have made it one of the most prestigious and oldest schools in Asia. It is located in the ...

. He then attended

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

as a

Rhodes scholar The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...

matriculating Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now. ...

from Jesus College in 1957. Bhatia was an active athlete, both at Oxford (awarded a

Blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obs ...

) as well as a member of the

Belgrave Harriers Belgrave Harriers, founded in October 1887, is an athletics club in Britain, with headquarters located in Wimbledon, close to Wimbledon Common. As of February 2013, they had the most successful record in the history of the British Athletics Leag ...

. He participated in the 1960 Rome Olympics, coming 60th in the marathon and participating in heats of the 5000 metres race. Following a long battle with

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

, Bhatia died on 9 February 2014 in Delhi.

Career

Following his graduation from Oxford, Ranjit Bhatia returned to India. In 1960, he joined

St. Stephen's College, Delhi St. Stephen's College is a constituent college of the University of Delhi, widely regarded as one of the oldest and most prestigious colleges for arts and sciences in India. It was established in 1881 by the Cambridge Mission to Delhi. The college ...

to teach Mathematics. He remained there until his retirement as Reader. He was a sports writer and presenter. He wrote for Athletics Weekly and covered several Olympic Games for Indian newspapers, including ''The Statesman''. Bhatia was an active member of the

Association of Track and Field Statisticians The Association of Track and Field Statisticians (ATFS) was founded in 1950. It is an international organization run by volunteers whose goal is to collect and disseminate the statistics of track and field athletics. Foundation On 26 August 19 ...

. He was also a national-level selector for Indian athletics between 1976 and 1984. Among his written works are the ''Handbook of Indian Athletics'', and the ''Book of Asian Games''. Ranjit Bhatia was an administrator for the Indian chapter of the

Rhodes Scholarship The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...

s from 1962 till his retirement in 1997.

Awards

For his services to the

Rhodes Trust Rhodes House is a building part of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on South Parks Road in central Oxford, and was built in memory of Cecil Rhodes, an alumnus of the university and a major benefactor. It is listed Grade II* ...

and athletics, Bhatia was awarded the OBE.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bhatia, Ranjit 1936 births 2014 deaths Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford Indian male long-distance runners Indian Rhodes Scholars Officers of the Order of the British Empire Lawrence School, Sanawar alumni Athletes (track and field) at the 1960 Summer Olympics Olympic athletes of India Place of birth missing