Former international basketball player and legendary coach KV Alexander passes away

Former international basketball player and legendary coach KV Alexander, affectionately known to the sporting community as "Alex Sir", passed away at Pushpagiri Hospital in Thiruvalla on Wednesday morning. He was 84. Before dedicating his life fully to coaching, Alexander served in the Indian Air Force for 13 years. A highly skilled playmaker of his generation, he represented the Indian national team at the 1973 Asian Basketball Championship held in the Philippines.
During the 1970s and 1980s, he guided the Air Force basketball team to multiple national and services championship victories. His innovative fitness and tactical programmes went on to form the official training foundation for several military sports camps.

Following his retirement from the Air Force, Alexander joined the Kerala State Sports Council, establishing himself as an elite sports tactician. His coaching stints at Ernakulam St Teresa's College and Changanassery Assumption College sparked a revolution in women's collegiate basketball in Kerala. Under his guidance, the Kerala senior women's team achieved a historic milestone by clinching their first-ever National Championship title at Cuttack, Odisha in 1984. During this era, he groomed some of India's finest international stars, including Prasanna Jayashankar and Raji Thampi.

Throughout his career, Alexander's influence spanned multiple tiers of Indian basketball. He guided the Kerala Police team to their first Federation Cup victory and served as the coach for the Indian junior national team during their promotional tour of Japan. Even after his formal retirement, Alexander remained deeply connected to the game. For over a decade, he actively trained the Pushpagiri Medical College team and led the summer coaching camps at Thiruvalla YMCA, identifying and mentoring emerging junior national talents such as Sejin Mathew, Joshua Sunil, and Arjun. In recognition of his lifetime contributions to the sport, the District Basketball Association honoured him on his 80th birthday. He is survived by wife, Ammini, daughters Asha and Anju, sons-in-law Abi and Tenny, and his grandchildren.