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The eighth variation of the Sportstar Aces Awards was held astatine the Taj Mahal Palace edifice present connected Friday, celebrating the athletes, teams and defining moments that shaped the past twelvemonth successful Indian sport.
If the evening had a unifying thread, it was the travel of women’s cricket successful India and the generations that carried it forward.
Ten erstwhile captains of the nationalist broadside — Diana Edulji, Shubhangi Kulkarni, Sudha Shah, Nilima Joglekar, Sandhya Agarwal, Pramila Bhat, Purnima Rau, Chanderkanta Kaul, Anju Jain and Jhulan Goswami — were honoured.
Former Indian women’s cricket squad captains with The Hindu Group’s chairperson Nirmala Lakshman and Casagrand’s Sumanth Krishna. | Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI
Their felicitation came astatine a infinitesimal erstwhile the women’s crippled successful India has reached unprecedented heights.
The nationalist squad captured its maiden ODI World Cup rubric past November, portion India soon added different landmark by winning the inaugural Blind Women’s T20 World Cup.
Tribute to the pioneers
Reflecting connected the travel of women’s athletics successful India, Nirmala Lakshman, Chairperson of The Hindu Group, paid tribute to the pioneers who laid the instauration for the contiguous generation.
“Long earlier the spotlight arrived, pioneers similar P.T. Usha, Karnam Malleswari, Diana Edulji and Shantha Rangaswamy carried the dreams of Indian women’s athletics connected their shoulders,” she said. “They competed for India successful an epoch with constricted infrastructure, small designation and astir nary fiscal support. Yet they persevered, driven purely by passionateness and pride.”
She added that their courageousness created the pathway for the advancement disposable today, noting that Sportstar excessively has sought to honour that tone done its work.
“For 48 years, Sportstar has carried guardant that bequest successful the satellite of sport, celebrating not conscionable victories but the spirit, sacrifice and perseverance that specify large athletes.”
Union of past & present
Sportstar exertion Ayon Sengupta said the awards evening was arsenic overmuch astir remembering those who built the foundations of Indian athletics arsenic it was astir celebrating its contiguous champions.
“At Sportstar, we person been fortunate to chronicle the travel of Indian athletics and of Indian women successful athletics since 1978,” helium said. “Many of these pioneers person appeared successful our pages, connected our covers and successful the iconic centre spreads that generations of sports fans person grown up with.”
A arrogant Contractor receives the Lifetime Achievement honour from MD of Amul, Jayen Mehta and Sunil Gavaskar. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI
Two stalwarts of Indian athletics were recognised with Lifetime Achievement honours during the evening.
Former India Test skipper Nari Contractor was celebrated for a vocation defined by skill, enactment and singular resilience, portion hurdler M.D. Valsamma was honoured for her lasting publication to Indian athletics.
Contractor’s infinitesimal connected signifier proved peculiarly emotional. The grant was presented by Sunil Gavaskar, who spoke movingly astir however Contractor had inspired him aboriginal successful his career.
As Gavaskar recalled those memories, his dependable concisely faltered, drafting a lukewarm effect from the audience. Contractor received a lasting ovation.
Australian large Glenn McGrath was honoured with the International Icon Award, presented by Sportstar Aces Awards assemblage seat Gavaskar, successful designation of a vocation that helped specify an epoch of accelerated bowling.
Shooting prodigy Suruchi Singh enjoyed a memorable evening, completing a double. She was named Sportswoman of the Year (Olympic Sports), sharing the honour with Olympic weightlifting medallist Mirabai Chanu, and besides claimed the Young Achiever of the Year (Girl) award.
Reward for Deepti
Deepti Sharma was named Sportswoman of the Year successful Team Sports, recognising her power successful India’s World Cup triumph.
Among the evening’s astir celebrated figures were boxing fable Mary Kom and Olympic wrestling medallist Sakshi Malik, who received the Ace of Aces grant for their enduring interaction connected Indian sport.
The Award of Excellence recognised 3 athletes: Woman Grandmaster Tania Sachdev, array tennis prima Manika Batra and erstwhile Indian women’s hockey skipper Rani Rampal, each of whom has played a captious relation successful raising the planetary illustration of Indian sport. In different honours, agelong jumper Murali Sreeshankar won the Comeback of the Year award, portion GMR Sports received the grant for Best Corporate for the Promotion of Sport.
IndianOil Corporation Ltd. was recognised arsenic the Best PSU for the Promotion of Sport, the International Institute of Sports & Management was named Best Educational Institution for the Promotion of Sport, and Project Nanhi Kali received the Sports for Social Good grant portion Bihar won the Best State for Promotion of Sport.
