Kapil Dev wins Sportstar Aces 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award

Legendary Indian cricketer Kapil Dev was conferred with Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sportstar Aces Awards on Monday.

Kapil Dev captained India to its first ODI World Cup title in 1983.

I feel extremely privileged and honoured to be bestowed with the Sportstar Aces Lifetime Achievement Award. I am happy that Sportstar is celebrating four decades of service to sport. I call it service to sport because the magazine has helped by highlighting the talent and documenting the journey of successful sportsmen in various disciplines.

I enjoy a special relationship with The Hindu and Sportstar . These are two prestigious publications known for their awesome sports coverage, always objective. I have never seen any bias in the sports reporting of The Hindu and Sportstar and have some very fond memories of the write-ups on me.

What a wonderful coincidence that my international career began in 1978, the same year that Sportstar arrived to celebrate Indian sport. It has maintained a high degree of presenting Indian sport in the most positive manner. I know of players, including me, who would wait to read Sportstar , which gave you a ringside view of some of the best sporting events from all over the world. It was a privilege to be featured in Sportstar .

For sportsmen, the Sportstar posters were a craze. Some would collect the posters and the articles and some of us earned the privilege to have one of our own. I have some in my collection. Some of the best names in the world of sport commented in Sportstar and it was such a treat indeed when greats of the game would write on the upcoming talent. True to its title, Sportstar does justice to every sport in the country.

I thank The Hindu and Sportstar for considering me for the Lifetime Achievement Award. It will remain dear to me. I thank Sportstar again and wish the magazine greater success in the years to come.

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Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, chess ace Vishwanathan Anand, The Hindu Publishing Group chairman N. Ram, former India hockey captain M. M. Somaya, Olympian shooter Anjali Bhagwat and Olympian shuttler Aparna Popat selected the deserving winners in categories involving young athletes, teams, coaches and parathletes.

The awards look to create a medium of knowledge and vision exchange as it brings all stakeholders of Indian sports under one roof.

As told to Vijay Lokapally.