Sportstar Aces Awards 2023: Bhaskar Bhatt wins Sportstar Coach of the Year

Bhatt has made an impact as the coach of the Indian women’s national team, guiding several young and senior boxers to medals at World Championships.

Under Bhaskar Bhatt, three Indian women boxers - Nikhat Zareen, Nitu Ghanghas and Jaismine Lamboriya - medalled at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. | Photo Credit: Team Sportstar

Boxing coach Bhaskar Bhatt won the Sportstar Aces award for Coach of the Year at Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai on Monday.

Bhatt has made an impact as the coach of the Indian women’s national team, guiding several up-and-coming boxers to World Youth Championship medals.

It was under his guidance that Nikhat Zareen won the gold at the World Championship in Turkey, in process becoming the first Indian world champion since 2018. Apart from Zareen, Parveen Hooda (63kg) and Manisha Moun (57kg) landed Worlds bronze medals.

Under Bhatt, Indian women bagged three medals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Nitu Ghanghas (48kg) and Zareen (50kg) secured gold, while Jaismine Lamboria (60kg) won a bronze.

The Indian women’s team asserted their supremacy in the Asian Championships by winning four gold medals (Parveen in 63kg, Lovlina Borgohain in 75kg, Saweety Boora in 81kg, and Alfiya Pathan in 81+kg category), a silver (Minakshi in 52kg category) and two bronze (Preeti Dahiya in 57kg and Ankushita Boro in 66kg category).

Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, former India hockey captain M. M. Somaya, chess great Viswanathan Anand, former India football skipper Bhaichung Bhutia, Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, and Olympians Anjali Bhagwat and Aparna Popat are the members of the Sportstar Aces 2023 jury.

The event is supported by IDFC First Bank, Indian Oil, India Cements, United India, Ramaiah University, Experimenta Science Center GD Naidu Charity, Finolex Pipes, LIC, BPCL, Samsonite, Big Basket, Nippon Paint, CRICHQ, Wordswork, NewsX and Casagrand.