Thiruvananthapuram: Prominent sports journalist and Govt. Secretariat Rtd. Joint Secretary Mathew Zakaria Parakal (Chengannur Mukkat Kudumbayoga) passed away. He was 93 years old. He was undergoing treatment in a private hospital due to age-related illness.
Wrote many sports articles for The Indian Express, The Hindu and United News of India news agency. He also worked as Sports Officer under Chief Secretaries Gopalaswamy, Ramachandran and Zakaria Mathew.
Served as Founder Secretary of Kerala Secretariat Sports Association (1959), Organizing Secretary of All India Civil Services Athletics Meet and Organizing Secretary of All India Civil Services Football Tournament. It was through the intervention of Mathew Zakaria that the sports quota came into existence in the state government service.
He was closely associated with Colonel Goda Varma Raja who started the sport in Travancore. Olympians who have left their mark on Indian sports, Suresh Babu, P.T. Usha, T.C. Mathew was also a sports journalist who introduced Yohannan, volleyball stars Jimmy George and Johnson Jacob to Kerala sports.
Funeral on Saturday at 1.45 pm at Patur Christ Church, Thiruvananthapuram.
