P.V. Sindhu was adjudged the Sportstar of the Year and Kapil Dev honoured for Lifetime Achievement at the Sportstar Aces Awards here on Monday. Sindhu, who won a historic badminton World Championship gold in 2019, was also declared the Sportswoman of the Year (racquet sports) before an audience of some of the finest Indian sporting stars.
“When she was playing in the final of the World Championships, the streets in India were empty. That was wonderful to see,” noted Vijay Amritraj, who hosted a part of the ceremony. Sindhu, who is away in Jakarta for the Indonesia Masters, was represented at the event by coach P. Gopichand. “It was a great performance by her at the World Championships. This award will motivate her further during an Olympic year,” he said.
Kapil, who led India to World Cup victory in 1983, expressed his happiness through a heartfelt video message. “You feel happy deep down when people recognize your talent,” he said. “Every cricketer in our generation used to value The Hindu ’s coverage. I also have lots and lots of Sportstar magazines [at home]. My wife has kept cuttings. When you see those pictures, it puts a smile on your face. My message to people in any field of life today is to be passionate in whatever they do. There is no Plan A and B. Plan B never works. Just work hard for Plan A.” Kapil’s award was received on his behalf by his first India captain, Bishan Singh Bedi.
Rohit Sharma was chosen the Sportsman of the Year (Cricket) for a hugely successful year, when he finished the top run-scorer at the World Cup while also making a roaring start to life as a Test opener.
“Sportstar magazine was a huge part of my childhood. I remember competing in the Sportstar Trophy during my U-19 days, and collecting Sportstar posters. It was so much fun. This award means a lot. I promise to continue to work even harder,” Rohit said in an audio message played to the gathering.
Yuvraj Singh, who accepted the award on Rohit’s behalf spoke of his appetite for runs. “It’s been a phenomenal year for Rohit. I remember when he came into the side he was a middle-order batsman. He still won a lot of games for India, scored seventies and eighties. Since he started opening, those seventies and eighties have become hundreds and double hundreds. He started to do really well [as an opener] in Test cricket this year, which was good to see. Hopefully he can smash some records in Test cricket like he does in one-day cricket,” he said.
Smriti Mandhana emerged the Sportswoman of the Year (Cricket), and was presented the award by Cricket Australia Director and former Australia women’s cricketer Mel Jones. “Last year was amazing for us in ODIs and T20s,” she said. “This year is exciting with the T20 World Cup coming up.”
The jury, which presided over all but two awards, was chaired by Sunil Gavaskar and also comprised N. Ram, Chairman, The Hindu Group, Viswanathan Anand, Aparna Popat, Anjali Bhagwat and M.M. Somaya.
The Chairman’s Choice Award went to Australian batsman Steve Smith for his remarkable performance in the Ashes, and was received on his behalf by Cricket Australia chair Earl Eddings. “We’re not chauvinistic; we recognize great achievements wherever they are made,” said Ram. “We honour him for his batting and his qualitative achievements of skill, courage and character on top of his famous — some would say obsessive — work ethic over the part year. Steve Smith came back from the cold from a life-changing and what at that time seemed a calamitous setback. In coming back he showed character by dominating the Ashes in England last year.”
N. Murali, Chairman, Kasturi and Sons Ltd., Ayon Sengupta, Editor, Sportstar , and K.C. Vijaya Kumar, Sports Editor, The Hindu , also addressed the gathering. The Indian Test team was declared the Team of the Year while Gopichand and R.B. Ramesh shared the Coach of the Year accolade.
Acing the Awards
| Sportsman Of The Year (Cricket) | Rohit Sharma |
| Sportswoman Of The Year (Cricket) | Smriti Mandhana |
| Sportsman Of The Year (Track & Field) | Avinash Sable |
| Sportswoman Of The Year (Track & Field) | Annu Rani |
| Sportsman Of The Year (Team Sports) | Manpreet Singh |
| Sportswoman Of The Year (Team Sports) | Deep Grace Ekka |
| Sportsman Of The Year (Individual Sports) | Bajrang Punia |
| Sportswoman Of The Year (Individual Sports) | Koneru Humpy & Apurvi Chandela |
| Sportsman Of The Year (Racquet Sports) | B. Sai Praneeth |
| Sportswoman Of The Year (Racquet Sports) | P.V. Sindhu |
| Sportsman Of The Year (Para Sports) | Pramod Bhagat |
| Sportswoman Of The Year (Para Sports) | Ekta Bhyan |
| Young Athlete Of The Year (Boys) | R. Praggnanandhaa & Esow Alben |
| Young Athlete Of The Year (Girls) | Mehuli Ghosh |
| Team Of The Year | Indian Test Cricket Team |
| Coach Of The Year | R. B. Ramesh & P. Gopi Chand |
| Best State For The Promotion Of Sports | Odisha |
| Best PSU/Corporate House For The Promotion Of Sports | Indian Oil Corporation Ltd |
| Best University For The Promotion Of Sports | Sri Ramachandra Institute Of Higher Education And Research |
| Special Jury Award | Pankaj Advani |
| Special Recognition Award | Leander Paes |
| Chairman's Choice | Steve Smith |
| Lifetime Achievement | Kapil Dev |
| Sportstar Of The Year | P.V. Sindhu |
