Thiruvananthapuram: Anil A. Johnson, the state secretary of the Softball Association who passed away recently, was a sports organizer who dedicated his life to popularizing softball—a sport native to America—in Kerala. Through his efforts, over a hundred softball athletes were able to secure employment.

In the early 1990s, softball was a sport that was barely known even in India. During his student days, Anil A. Johnson was a handball player, but it was his organizational talent that led him to take up softball. He traveled to various sports colleges across the country, including Patiala, and completed certification courses in softball and umpiring. Upon returning to Kerala, he began training a new generation in the sport.

Even while working as a Health Inspector in the government service, Anil took leave and personally led teams to national competitions in the early days. It was under his leadership that the Kerala Softball Association was formed. He also established district-level associations, helping to spread the sport more widely across Kerala. Once the sport received recognition from the Kerala Sports Council, more talents began emerging at the school and university levels.

With the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) also recognizing softball, over a hundred individuals secured government jobs through the sports quota.

Anil A. Johnson was one of the foremost figures in Indian softball. Whether it was organizing or managing state championships, or even team selection, his influence was significant. Thanks to his guidance, Kerala was able to send well-trained teams to national competitions and win several titles.

Even after undergoing a kidney transplant surgery ten years ago, he returned to the sports field after a brief period of rest.

When softball was included in the National Games, Anil was deeply involved in everything from selecting the Kerala team to its training. Even when faced with financial obstacles, he used his own pension funds to send the Kerala team to participate in competitions.