An evening to remember

8220;I remember the day when I came to Aryans club with my father. I took my first nervous steps in the game at the centre,8221; said Sourav Ganguly as the Aryan club, in association with its sponsor Techno India gave him a grand felicitation at the Town Hall tonight. The former India captain was presented with diamond ring, laptop, silver plaque, picture of his last Test, a bouquet of 113 roses representing each Test he has played in as eminent personalities from all walks of life doffed their hats at the boy from Behala who has had been the face of Bengal cricket for more than a decade. 8220;It8217;s by the grace of God that I have played for so many years for India and Bengal. Now the baton is in the hands of those junior to me. People of Bengal enjoyed my game. I would love to see someone else gives as much, if not more joy to the people of my state,8221; Ganguly said. Then he turned to national selector Raja Venkat and added: 8220;The future of Bengal cricket is also in his hands. I have lot of hope in him.8221;

The citation described Ganguly as one who would have a permanent place in the 8220;golden throne of people hearts8221;. State municipal affairs minister Ashok Bhattacharya, known for his closeness to Ganguly, said two incidents during his long stint in international cricket had caused lot of pain to Ganguly. 8220;The first was the way he was dropped from the Rest of India squad in the Irani Trophy this year. The second was when he got out 15 short of hundred in his last Test at Nagpur8221;.

City mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said the Prince of Kolkata would be remembered by cricket lovers all over the world for his mental toughness and steely character. 8220;He has been wronged several times. But he has never bowed his head.8221; Former Cricket Association of Bengal CAB joint-secretary and Aryan club executive Samar Pal demanded that a chapter on the southpaw be included in the state8217;s school curriculum. Among others, present on the occasion, former Olympian footballer PK Banerjee, film actors Deboshree Roy and Rituparna Sengupta, author Sunil Ganguly, poet Subodh Sarkar and a host of current and former members of the Bengal cricket team. Express photos by Partha Paul