By Dominick Rodrigues/Arunkumar Rao
Bengaluru : It was a moment in time for basketball history when the “Old and the New” rubbed shoulders and shared words of experience. The occasion was a felicitation function honouring Indian Basketball Legends at the Sree Kanteerava stadium complex in Bengaluru recently.
The event, organized by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), witnessed top players, including padmashree awardees from different parts of India, interacting with the present national men’s and women’s teams.
Felicitating the basketball stars, Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai recalled his experience as a university sportsperson and said the national award achievement by sports persons ensured them being remembered beyond their lifetime.
The BFI felicitated Anitha Paul Durai, Padma Shree awardee-2020, Ramkumar Gahlawat, Dhyan Chand awardee-2003, Gulam Abbas Moontasir, Arjuna awardee-1970, Ajmer Singh, Arjuna Awardee 1982, Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, Arjuna awardee,-2009, Sajjan Singh Cheema, Arjuna awardee-1999, Hanuman Singh, Arjuna awardee-1975 and Suman Sharma, Arjuna awardee, -1983.
Thanking the state government for promoting basketball, Basketball Federation of India and Karnataka Olympic Association President, K Govindaraj noted that availability of the best of sports facilities in Bengaluru had resulted in national camps being regularly held here. Others present on the occasion included: BFI secretary-general Chander Mukhi Sharma, Karnataka Additional Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, and Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES) Commissioner K Srinivas.
