The cricket stars of yesteryear Kapil Dev, Kirti Azad, Maninder Singh, Ajay Jadeja, Surender Khanna, Sunil Valson, Murali Karthik, Nikhil Chopra and a host of others gathered at the National Stadium and put into perspective the immense contribution of cricket guru Gurcharan Singh on Sunday evening.
Most of them had been trained by the 88-year-old Gurcharan over the years, with an equal measure of care and strictness that made them world-class.
When he spotted talent, like when he saw the young Maninder play, Gurcharan would go to the parents and tell them to let the boy play.
Kapil Dev recalled how he was lucky to be groomed by Desh Prem Azad in Chandigarh and Gurcharan in Delhi, as the two gurus were friends and operated with the same mindset. He also recalled that he enjoyed his cricket so much that there was never any need for the coach to scold him.
“Respect the teacher. Without a good teacher, nothing is possible. We should never forget our teachers. Everyone has come here. Everything is not about money. The great teacher worked hard without expecting any awards or rewards”, said Kapil.
Kirti Azad recalled how a naughty boy like him was groomed so well by the guru. Gurcharan thanked everyone, the hundreds of people assembled from around the country, and said he was happy to serve the game.
The Padma Shri award was presented recently to the cricket guru who had received the Dronacharya award in 1987. It was an occasion for the cricketing fraternity to celebrate the rich contribution of Gurcharan to Indian cricket.
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