Two-time Olympic boxer and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Akhil Kumar, who handled the worst of the migrant crisis as Gurugram assistant commissioner of police during Covid times, was presented the Giant off the Field honour at the 2021 Sportstar ACES Awards on Saturday.
The year 2020 was a difficult one for humanity as Covid-19 engulfed the world, and as sports emerged out of the pandemic, some of India’s sport stars were at the forefront of the fight to curb the spread of the virus. Among them was Akhil, who worked round as a law enforcement officer while also providing additional support, ensuring that people remained indoors during lockdown. Along with fellow boxer Jitender Kumar, Akhil pooled in money to provide food and hand sanitisers. He also formed a WhatsApp group called NayaSavera to coordinate the relief efforts.
“An athlete always stays positive with his discipline and hard work. In these difficult times of the Covid-19 pandemic, this positivity and discipline have inspired us to perform our duties. Many sportspersons like me have been able to perform their duties because of the sport that we have played. The best part is Sportstar recognising sportspersons like me, and I want to thank Sportstar for that,” said Akhil on accepting the award.
The 2021 edition of the Sportstar ACES Awards honoured the Giants of the Decade in Indian sport, with the winners being assessing on their performance and consistency from 2011 to 2020. Eleven awards were presented under the popular choice category, which was open to public voting, along with 14 jury awards as well as special recognition awards under two new categories – Sports for Good and Giants off the Field – that recognise the work of organisations and individuals who have used sports for the betterment of society.
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