Obituaries - a veteran of table tennis, a giant of Indian cinema and politics, and a businessman who fought for peace in Northern

Based in Swansea, Gray represented Wales for 18 years from 1945 until 1963. She also won Swansea’s closed table tennis championship ladies singles every year for 25 years from 1945 until 1970, at which point she was given the cup to keep.

She continued to play into her later years and in 2012 was one of the oldest torch-bearers during the build-up to the London Olympics. She received an MBE in 2001.

The president of Table Tennis Wales, she had played at her club in Swansea since 1945 and represented Wales more than 250 times.

Paying tribute to her, the organisation said: "Over the years there have been so many players who have emerged through the Swansea region, via the club in Penlan, which Betty was so instrumental in running.

"As a player, Betty was such a ferocious opponent who never gave up, winning titles well into her 80s. She has been an ambassador for our sport and we will remember her forever."

THE veteran Indian politician and writer Muthuvel Karunanidhi, who has died aged 94, dominated the Tamil-language movie industry as a screenwriter beginning in the 1950s, and later the political scene for nearly five decades.

He became the state's chief minister, the top elected official, in 1969, and held that position five times for a total of 19 years. He led the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam political party.

Karunanidhi stopped making public appearance two years ago as his health deteriorated.

He is the second key political figure to die in Tamil Nadu state in the past two years after Jayaram Jayalalithaa of the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party.

Cinema has always influenced Tamil politics by turning actors into popular politicians. CN Annadurai and Karunanidhi were both scriptwriters who went on to become chief ministers.

From his school days, Karunanidhi showed interest in drama, poetry and literature. He began his career as a screenwriter in the film industry at the age of 20. His first film, Rajakumaari, gained him recognition and popularity.

He penned screenplays and dialogues for more than 50 movies. He also wrote the stories for some of them, such as Marudanattu Ilavarasi, Mandiri Kumari, Tirumbipar and Arasilangkumari.

He became a powerful political figure using his wit and oratory skills after joining politics aged 33 and winning a state legislature seat in 1957. He won 13 state elections.

He had three wives, one of whom has died. He is also survived by four sons and two daughters, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

Karunanidhi's second son, MK Stalin, is his chosen political heir. A daughter, Kanimozhi, is a politician in the Indian Parliament.

THE businessmen Tom Moran, who has died aged 65, was chancellor of Queen's University Belfast. He was appointed in May 2015 and is the former chief executive of Mutual of America.

The new vice-chancellor of Queen's, Professor Ian Greer said: "Tom considered it a privilege and honour to be our chancellor and embraced the role with passion and excitement."

Ireland's foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney said Moran had had a very significant positive impact on Irish American relations, in particular supporting peace in Northern Ireland. Moran had been a stalwart promoter of the Irish peace process since the early 1990s.

Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams knew and worked with Dr Moran over many years. He said: "I was first introduced to Tom by Bill Flynn who was then the CEO of Mutual of America. In May, Tom spoke movingly at Bill's funeral of the enormous influence Bill had on him in supporting the search for peace in Ireland and in particular the work of Irish America.

"Tom understood the critical importance of involving representatives of all political views in the evolving process of peace and in support of the Good Friday Agreement.

"Tom's loss will be deeply felt by all of us working for peace and justice and for a new dispensation based on inclusivity and equality."