Ashok Sigamani TNCA President

In 1989, a young 13year old boy from Villupuram took YMCA (Nandanam) by storm. In the summer camp, he emerged as the best all rounder. As an opening batsman, he sent the ball out of the ground every time play was called. He had grown up in the open rough fields of Villupuram playing Cork ball cricket against opening bowlers who were real quick and awkward to face. From those early days, he has always been fearless be it on the cricket field or outside. Beneath the soft spoken demeanour is a tough personality who always speaks his mind. A teammate of this writer, he had his cricketing lessons at YMCA TSR (Advocate TS Ramaswamy) and made waves at the club. He smashed centuries at the schools tournaments and made his way into the U16 state but his amma took a serious academics call and led him back to Villupuram much against his wishes so he could get into Medicine.  Three decades later, the doctor from Villupuram is now at the helm of affairs at the TNCA and is confident of making a significant contribution to cricket development in the state. Here's the story.

Ashok Sigamani spent his first dozen years in hometown in Villupuram playing volleyball and a lot of cork ball and rubber ball cricket.  He lived in a big joint family that was full of doctors (there are over 40 of them now). The message from his appa Ponmudi, who himself has a Triple MA and a P.hd, was for him to focus on education though he did encourage sports. Ashok Sigamani looks back at his early initiation into sports “My appa was a good ball badminton player and I used to go with him to watch him play. I was also into Volley ball which was popular in Villupuram in those days. The fearless approach in my cricket was ignited while playing cork ball cricket and having to face some real quick bowlers like Murugesan (they called him Patrick Patterson of Villupuram) without gloves and pads. Even as a 10year old, I took on the college fast ball bowlers in Villupuram and struck them boldly.”

Ponmudi had a special liking for history and taught the subject in Villupuram. When he had to contest the elections, he quit the teaching job at the Government Arts College, won the election and immediately landed the post of the health minister. This prompted the move to Madras in 1989 and transformed Ashok Sigamani into a dashing opener. That summer, his grandfather, a retired head master from Villupuram, put him in the summer camp at YMCA run by Santhanam. His transition from Brown ball to Red Ball was swift. He made a lasting impression taking YMCA by storm. While Mujib (Gandhinagar Starlets) was hitting out in the YMCA B Ground, Ashok Sigamani sent the opposition bowlers out of  sight with hits that went out of the stadium. In the practice matches, he emerged as the highest run getter and picked up the best all-rounder award (he opened the batting and bowling in those early days). 

Soon advocate TS Ramaswamy (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/08/advocate-ts-ramaswamy90.html) who was passionate about cricket and had a special eye in spotting talent picked up Ashok for the YMCA TSR Club at the end of that summer camp. And he had three successful years in cricket. All his life TSR liked cricketers who had a strong mind and were fearless. He would often remark to the budding cricketers to not fear the opposition based on the big names that they possessed and the fearless approach of Ashok kindled his special interest in the 13year old boy. TSR is now 91 years old but his memory of Ashok Sigamani is razor sharp "He did not care who the opposition was. He had a strong and clear mind. Even in those days, he played shots like T20 matches. If the ball was there to be hit, he would hit the first ball out of the ground. He played bold shots in those days that Suryakumar Yadav plays now.”

When a regular keeper was injured at the U13 selection trials, former state wicket keeper T Doraiappan handed him the gloves as a standby "When he saw me keep for about 20overs, he was impressed and signed me up immediately for his league team (Nungambakkam) in the 5th division as a wicket keeper. And with that I became a wicket keeper batsman.”

Ashok Sigamani scored three centuries in the schools tournament and he was soon drafted into the u16 State side alongside Hemang Badani. The former India Cricketer remembers Ashok as a good striker of the ball and a very 'effervescent' kid "The thing that stood out to me was that even as a teenager, he was always smiling and warm.' 

At the YMCA TSR Club, he opened with S Badrinath in the All India Canopy tournament in Bangalore with both batting in completely contrasting styles “I would smash a half century in 25balls and get out while Badri (he carried this patience into Ranji cricket) would bat through the innings in a rock solid manner.”

TS Ramaswamy is delighted that the teenager who started his cricket at his club is now donning the prestigious role of the President at a reputed cricket association in the country. remembers his knocks in Bangalore "It was over 30 years ago. His amma came to me on the eve of the Bangalore Canopy tournament and asked me to take care of him. She was not aware of what a 'cricketing man' he already was. He was not yet 16 and yet one of the sixers landed on the road that left the opposition stunned. When the typical message of the time was to see off the new ball and let the ball go to the keeper, Ashok played without inhibition and put the opposition on the backfoot right at the start of the innings.  It was always refreshing to see fearless cricket being played and Ashok exemplified that. They had not seen this kind of power hitting from a young boy."

St Michaels comprising of Vijay (Dr. Natarajan’s son), Husaifa and Arumugam, beat a fancied Don Bosco in the semifinals and was only beaten by Santhome in the final. In that phase, Ashok also featured in the TNCA Junior Colts team, a result of his strong performances in the league. 

Leggie Sanjay Natarajan who was an integral part of the school team has been the logistics manager of CSK for the last ten years. Recalling the school days and confirming the above batting approach, Sanjay says Ashok surprised the team members with his appetite for runs "We had heard that he had made a lot of runs for YMCA TSR but when he came into the school team he was a new boy and all of us wondered as to who this guy was and how he would contribute to the team's cause. Very soon, he showed what a cricketer he was. There were not too many explosive cricketers in those days but Ashok was one. He would play shots all around the wicket. He was ahead of his time and even played the slog sweep of fast bowlers. To balls pitched on off and middle, he would just move across and hoist over the leg field into the boundary. He had a big appetite for runs and scored a lot for the school in those three years."

M Krishna (Shukkal to those in the cricketing circles) was an off spinner and nephew of former TNCA VP Ramesh (Free Lancers) and now performs service at the Varadaraja Perumal Divya Desam in Kanchipuram. He played for three years alongside Ashok Sigamani at the YMCA TSR Club and was also part of the tournament winning team in Bangalore "The way he hit out at a top notch Bengal team and drove them to pieces is still afresh in my memory. Once he got going, he was unstoppable and more often than not gave us a great start in that national tournament." 

Ashok Sigamani was having a dream run and his cricket was looking up in that phase. He dreamt of higher laurels and was all set to graduate into the next level in cricket when his amma Visalakshi asked him to pack off his cricketing kit and head back to Villupuram “My anna was into medicine and I was asked to follow in his footsteps. As an obedient son, I went back to my hometown and did not touch the cricket bat for a year.”

A year later, his passion for cricket came back and he was all set to join an Engineering College in Madras on sports quota. He landed up in the city to pay the fees when he found his amma too had made the trip from Villupuram the night before ‘The unique reason she gave me stumped me. When my doctor anna gets married, there would be questions from prospective (bride) families as to why the second son did not take to medicine and is only an Engineer. I was only 17 at the time and marriage was at least a decade away. I had smashed many a bowler on the field in the previous years but I had no answer to this googly from my amma. I had hoped to continue my cricket career while doing my engineering in the city. It was heart breaking and cried a lot that evening impressing upon her my interest to pursue my cricketing passion but she put sense into me and her push led me into medicine at the Annamalai University in Chidambaram. As I look back into that phase, I really owe it to my amma for that important drive that evening in my Periappa's home in Saidapet.”

Ashok still had a bit of serious cricket left. In the first year at college, the runs he amassed got him on to the University's Honours Board as the highest run getter. He became a cricketing hero in Chidambaram in the way he batted at the top of the innings and everyone looked up to his brand of cricket. He went to Tirunelveli for the inter University tournament and began with a bang. A century in the tournament opener followed by two half centuries got him into the Vizzy Trophy squad and once again his cricketing dreams came back.

However, there was not good news back at the Annamalai University. He had been away from college for a few months and that meant he was left behind in academics. There was attendance deficiency. Once again he received a stern message from his amma “For the second time in two years, my amma (she was everything to me and the entire joint family) asked me once again to shut the ‘cricketing shop’ and focus on studies. His intent was on me coming out in flying colours as a doctor. And this time without any tears, I quietly followed the instructions of my amma and ‘retired’ from serious cricket.”

He continued to play local cricket during the next four years. In Villupuram, he smashed a record breaking 190 in a league match in the late 1990s. He also hit a century in the then popular St. Peters tournament that was held every summer in Kodaikanal. When he came to Madras for his Post Grad at Ramachandra Medical College, the beautiful ground enticed him back into cricket and he got to playing in the TNCA league starting with CUC and then moving on to many other clubs. 

Just over a decade ago, he got into cricket administration taking up the post of Secretary of the Villlupuram Districts association. From less than 10 teams in the league there, he took it up to 20 and then to 30 teams. More cricketers have begun to emerge from Villupuram in recent years that has particularly pleasing for Ashok.

 

Nonagenarian TS Ramaswamy is delighted that the teenager who started his cricket at his club way back in the late 1980s is now donning the prestigious role of the President at a reputed cricket association in the country "He played cricket from his heart and I am sure he will do the same in this new role as the President. I am confident that at the end of three years, he would have made a big contribution to TN cricket that will make me proud."

At 46, Ashok Sigamani looks physically fit and mentally energised. He sweats it out every evening at the shuttle court, arising out of his new interest in shuttle. To encourage sportspeople outside of cricket, he has also taken up a team in the TN shuttle league. On the playing front, he continues to feature in league cricket (30overs 6th division league) as well as inter club T20 cricket both of which suit his style of play. Over the last few years, he has also anchored a team in the Doctor’s cricket league in the state and took the Ramachandra College Doctors into the finals of the tournament. He then formed Trichy Tyrants and led them to victory in the national tournament of the Doctors league. 

Ashok Sigamani is serious about his role as the President of the TNCA. He wears cricket in his sleeve and has been associated . Even into his mid 40s, he has gone around the city playing league cricket in faraway grounds such as STAG, Venkateswara College, Murugappa and in Porur. This has given him insights into the ground conditions and is fully aware of the short comings. Like with his batting in the early 1990s, he is clear about the way he will operate over the next three years. All those who have seen him from close quarters will know that he is a 'No Nonsense' guy. He has never been ambiguous in his approach right from the way he batted at the start of the innings and says that 'Growth of Cricket' in TN will be his top priority.  Of Course, once again as has been the case for a long time winning Ranji Cricket is on the agenda but for that to happen a lot of things have to change.

RBI off spinner from the 1980s NS Ramesh was Ashok Sigamani's coach at YMCA TSR and went on those trips to Bangalore. He is all praise for Ashok's conduct even as a teenager "Inspite of being  a minister's son, I could never detect even an iota of arrogance in him. He was always grounded. While he was a very good player at that age, the human side of Ashok was particularly touching. He was a nice chap and always very respectful. He was symbolic of how even the most powerful can conduct themselves with utmost humility."

That soft spoken and respectful characteristic of Ashok is still in tact three decades later. Those qualities have just not changed. Ashok looks back at the philosophical message from his appa from his teenage years that has helped him remain grounded “Never do wrong to others and Never hurt others. Money may come and go, power may come and go but earning the 'real respect' is something that will hold you in good stead for a lifetime.” And this is reflected in the way Ashok converses with everyone. 

He is keen to convert as many matting wickets in the city into turf wickets as possible in the next three years. Also on his agenda is expanding the TNCA Academy into the districts “I want to take the academy into as many remote locations in the state as possible. I would also like to set up satellite centers in the outskirts of the city so those in the neighbourhood can experience the best of the coaches and facilities close to their homes.”

Social media messages soon after his appointment pointed to Chepauk becoming home to Jallikattu in the current political regime. There is also likely to be issues relating to naming the newly constructed stadium. Ashok Sigamani says that he is fully aware of criticisms coming his way "Everyone who has known me in the last few decades know how far away I am from politics. Yes, I am proud to be the son of a minister but my role at the TNCA will be of one who has played cricket for three decades and one who has been passionate about the game all through my life. Every move will reflect in my caring for the development of TN cricket. ”

He says he is keen to listen to others' views and implement when there are constructive developmental ideas. He told this writer that on the immediate front he is looking to be part of all the meetings at the TNCA in the coming months so he has an ear to the ground. 

It is heartening to hear that he is open to strong criticisms and negative feedback from anyone on developmental initiatives "I see this as a sport in the same way I experienced it when I first picked the bat at YMCA all those decades ago and I will do everything in my armory to develop cricket in Tamil Nadu. ‘I welcome criticism from anyone as long as it is constructive and for the betterment of cricket in the state. You will see me being receptive to it. Let me know if I swerve from this” says Ashok Sigamani in as straight a way as when his bat came thudding down on the opposition fast bowler and had the ball racing to the fence behind the bowler.