Malini Parthasarathy, Chairperson of The Hindu Group, stated that India’s famous triumph in the 1983 Cricket World Cup powered the collective self-esteem of the nation.
On the 40th anniversary of the famous victory, Kapil Dev and members of his team were honoured at the Sportstar Aces Awards 2023 at The Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai on Monday.
India captain Kapil Dev lifts the trophy on the balcony of the pavilion as Sunil Gavaskar (obscured right) looks on after the 1983 World Cup Final victory against West Indies. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
“India won a subsequent Cricket World Cup in 2011, but 1983 remains the game that is forever 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 Number One. 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,” Malini said.
“That win changed India’s sporting destiny and our lives 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,” Malini said.
“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, and Virat Kohli have been inspired by this great epic victory,” Malini said.
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