Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar was presented with the SJFI Medal, the highest award of the Sports Journalist Federation of India (SJFI), at a function held here on Tuesday. .
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Gavaskar and former India captain Ravi Shastri were also given honorary life membership of SJFI at the function attended by BCCI vice-president Jayesh George, former BCCI secretary S.K. Nair and SJFI office-bearers.
In his acceptance speech, Sunil Gavaskar said at the start of his career there was a considerable trust factor between the players and the media.
“There was a trust factor. There were people in the media we could talk to who wanted us to do well. A mention in the media was a big thing for budding players then,’‘ he said.
Gavaskar said the wide publicity he got in the media for doing well for the All-India university team during the Sri Lankan tour paved way for his selection for the West Indian tour in 1971. Ravi Shastri said it was through the media that the world came to know of his record of six sixes in an over.