"I enjoyed every minute of being involved with racing and I’m so glad that I have been able to give back something to the sport that has given me so much,” stated former chairman of the Royal Calcutta Turf Club (RCTC), Cyrus Madan who was inducted into the Turf Authorities of India’s Hall of Fame. The event took place at the Awards Night Dinner on the RCTC lawns on March 2, 2024, during the Indian Turf Invitation Weekend. The Hall of Fame Award, presented to one individual each year, was in recognition of Madan’s contribution and service to horse racing over nearly five decades.
Reticent about his achievements, Madan was coaxed to speak to Parsiana on March 20. "For me it’s a dream come true to have received this Award and I’m indeed honored to have been inducted… Commentating and writing is still a passion and I continue to enjoy calling races (providing racing commentary) on a regular basis having been at it for 46 years now.”
Inset: Cyrus Madan with Trista Heerjee Madan and above (5th from l) with racing officials
Former Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) steward, breeder, race horse owner, senior lawyer and Parsiana columnist Berjis Desai told us on March 20 that "after the late A. F. S. (Bobby) Talyarkhan, Cyrus is probably the best caller of races… Extremely knowledgeable about pedigree and form of thoroughbred horses and trends in racing abroad, Cyrus has integrity and uprightness in a sport which is known for quite the contrary qualities… He is one of those rare personalities who has never ever gambled but has dedicated his free time to the promotion of thoroughbred racing in India… He truly deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.”
Starting out as a race commentator with the RCTC in 1978, Madan moved to Bombay in 1981 where he joined the RWITC as a commentator and worked as a sports journalist, even editing and publishing his own weekly on horse racing, The Turfite. With the entry of electronic media into racing in the 1990s, Madan stepped in to anchor and commentate on almost every racing program that was aired on television and to many he became the face and voice of Indian racing.
The Turf Authorities of India comprises six entities — the RCTC, RWITC, Madras Race Club, Bangalore Turf Club Limited, Hyderabad Race Club and Mysore Race Club Limited. Previous inductees into the racing Hall of Fame include Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, Zavareh Poonawalla and Rashid Byramji.
Madan is a trustee of the Calcutta Zoroastrian Community’s Religious and Charity Funds. As resident director of the Calcutta Parsi Amateur Dramatic Club he has been the driving force behind the annual Navroz natak for over two decades.