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Vengsarkar to receive lifetime achievement award from BCCI
MUMBAI: One of India’s best batsmen ever and former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar, will be the recipient of the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award. The cricketer has been nominated for the award by a committee comprising of senior media personality Shekhar Gupta, BCCI interim president Shivlal Yadav and BCCI honorary secretary Sanjay Patel. The award comprises a citation, trophy and cheque for Rs 25 lakh.
Vengsarkar came into national prominence with a belligerent hundred for Mumbai against the Rest of India in the Irani Cup game at the start of the 1975-76 season. He is the only non-English batsman to score three Test hundreds at Lord’s. The third of those hundreds – an unbeaten 126 in 1986 – set up India’s first Test win at the venue. The second Indian to have played 100 Tests, Vengsarkar was rated the world’s number one batsman in the year 1986-87. Being a member of the Indian team that won the World Cup in 1983 and the World Championship of Cricket in 1985, he led India in ten Tests in 1987-89. He was chairman of the BCCI’s talent research development committee for three years, and the chairman of the All-India senior selection committee for the period, 2006-08.
Meanwhile Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the winner of the annual Polly Umrigar Award, for being India’s best international cricketer of the 2013-14 season. The award comprises a trophy and a cheque for Rs 5 lakh.
LIST OF AWARDEES
PREVIOUS WINNERS OF THE AWARD
1994 – Lala Amarnath
1995 – Syed Mushtaq Ali
1996 – Capt. Vijay Hazare
1997 – K.N. Prabhu
1998 – P. R. Umrigar
1999 – Col. Hemachandra Adhikari
2000 – Subhash Gupte
2001 – Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi
2002 – Bhausaheb Nimbalkar
2003 – Chandrakant Borde
2004 – B.S. Bedi, B. Chandrasekhar, EAS Prasanna, S. Venkataraghvan
2007 – Nariman Contractor
2008 – Gundappa Viswanath
2009 – Mohinder Amarnath
2010 – Salim Durani
2011 – Ajit Wadekar
2012 – Sunil Gavaskar
2013 – Kapil Dev Nikhanj
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
