Dr. Malini Parthasarathy, Chairperson of The Hindu Group of Publications (Pvt. Ltd.), stated that India’s famous triumph in the 1983 Cricket World Cup powered the collective self-esteem of the nation.
In the 40th year of the famous victory, Kapil Dev and members of his team were honoured at the Sportstar Aces Awards 2023 here on Monday.
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“India won a subsequent Cricket World Cup in 2011, but 1983 remains etched on all our minds and hearts. Why so? Because it was the first time that an Indian team actually tasted the sweet taste of being the World No. 1. That also powered our collective self esteem, and gave us real self confidence that India could be a major player in the big game and we are on the road to becoming a major sporting power,” Dr. Parthasarathy said.
“That win changed India’s sporting destiny and our national life forever. We had been defeatist till then as a country, diffident about our sporting capability and timid in our approaches in the global arena. When Kapil Dev and his team of greats won, the entire cricket world was stunned and in disbelief,” Dr. Parthasarathy said.
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“The enduring image of Kapil Dev hoisting the World Cup in Lords’ balcony has been etched on a country’s mind forever, as it has allowed countless great cricketers to dream and to see their dreams manifest into great world records. A new generation of cricketing greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli have been inspired by this epic victory,” Dr. Parthasarathy said.
The winners in the fifth edition of the Sportstar Awards
Sportsman of the Year (cricket): Hardik Pandya
Sportswoman of the year (cricket): Harmanpreet Kaur
Sportsman of the year (track and field): Avinash Sable
Sportswomen of the year (track and field): Annu Rani
Sportsman of the Year (team sports): P.R. Sreejesh and Sunil Chhetri
Sportswoman of the year (team sports): Savita Punia
Sportsman of the Year (Olympic sports): Rudranksh Patil
Sportswoman of the Year (Olympic sports): Nikhat Zareen
Sportsman of the year (Racquet sports): Lakshya Sen and Sharath Kamal
Sportswoman of the year (Racquet Sports): Dipika Pallikal Karthik
Coach of the year: Bhaskar Bhatt
Sportsman of the year (Para sports): Rahul Jakhar
Sportswoman of the year (Para sports): Manisha Ramadass
Best Young Achiever (girl): Antim Panghal and Rhythm Sangwan
Best Young Achiever (boy): D. Gukesh
Lifetime Achievement Award: Shyam Thapa
Best PSU for the promotion of sports: ONGC
Best University for the promotion of sports: Jain University
Best sState for the promotion of sports: Odisha
Best Grassroots coach: Merzban Patel (Hockey)
Comeback of the year: Vinesh Phogat and Anwar Ali
Sportstar of the year (Male): Neeraj Chopra
Sportstar of the year (femals): Mirabai Chanu
National Team of the year: India’s Thomas Cup team
Club of the year: Gujarat Titans
Moment of the year: India’s Thomas Cup triumph
Spirit of sports: Nihal Sarin
Inspirational Icon: Sania Mirza
Lifetime Achievement Award: Shyam Thapa
Sports for social good: Project Parivartan (IOC)
