Around two weeks ago, Sultan Moosavi, an eminent lawyer and sports administrator based in Vijayawada, lost his elderly mother after she tested positive for the coronavirus. Soon, Sultan, his wife, and his son, contracted COVID-19. Even as Sultan mourned his mother, his wife, Lubna Moosavi, died on Friday. One day later, Sultan himself, who was 61 years old, breathed his last while being treated for COVID-19. And on the very next day, his son Javeed, who was only 25, also passed away. In two weeks, Hena, Sultan's daughter, lost her whole family to complications from the disease. An image of the family has been doing the rounds on messaging platforms, with a warning that COVID-19 is fatal and people need to be careful.
Sultan, Lubna and Javeed lost their lives on consecutive days after being admitted to Manipal Hospital in Vijayawada. Speaking about the circumstances in which they passed away, Dr Sudhakar Kantipudi, regional unit head of Manipal Hospitals, said, “They were moved here from a different hospital at the terminal stage. We explained to them that we didn’t think any miracles would happen, but we would try. Unfortunately, we could not save them. Within 48 hours of being admitted, we lost them.” Dr Sudhakar, who knew Sultan personally, called his death a loss not just to his family but the entire state and country.
The family is now survived by his daughter, who lives in Australia. On Monday, one member from the family wrote on Facebook, "I am in no mood to write, but I don’t want any other family to face what we had to face. And feel responsible to let others know to take enough precautions during this pandemic. Hence spreading awareness. DO NOT TAKE COVID LIGHTLY, LIKE A REGULAR FLU. Even if your family member is infected with virus, give at most attention to the protein food intake and on the daily progress of the infection, especially the lungs. Covid devastated us. Lost my entire family in a week. Lost my father today and it’s more than a hole, a huge part of our soul just ripped out for rest of our lives. Please take COVID seriously. Be responsible, you might be a asymptotic carrier but when you pass to others it could ruin not just one but entire family. Do not go out unless emergency or necessary. Your gatherings, prayers and meeting friends even though small group could risk other lives. You might think it’s small group but never know if someone is asymptomatic."
While Sultan’s native place is the nearby seaside town of Machilipatnam, he was a noted lawyer based in Vijayawada. Sultan was senior vice-president of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), and the table tennis community fondly remembers him as a kind person, and a great administrator and organiser.
Remembering his contributions to the sport, the TTFI said that Sultan had helped many players from Andhra Pradesh, by procuring equipment for various table tennis centres and organising many events. Mouma Das, a table tennis player who has represented India at the Olympics, called Sultan’s death a “big loss for Indian Table Tennis.”
Deeply saddened and Shocked,
— Mouma Das OLY (@MoumaDasTT) October 31, 2020
big loss for Indian Table Tennis.
Rest in Peace Shri S M Sultan Sir.@ttfitweet@KirenRijiju pic.twitter.com/c7zLOvgiug
Sultan was first associated with the sport as a junior state level table tennis player who represented the former united state of Andhra Pradesh. After becoming a lawyer, he continued to be associated with it as an administrator, initially at the state level, as the President of the Andhra Pradesh Table Tennis Association. “His loss will be mourned by the entire table tennis fraternity in both Andhra and Telangana besides all those who had known him personally,” the TTFI wrote.
