NEW Delhi, November 30: It was a gathering with a difference. For a change, the hosts this time were the sports journalists who awarded almost two dozen sportspersons for their achievements and contribution to sports in the last two years.Olympian trap shooter Mansher Singh and Indian women hockey team's captain Pritam Thakran led the star parade as 23 top sportspersons were honoured by the Delhi Sports Journalist Association (DSJA) at a function here last night.Senior member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in India Ashwani Kumar, cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar and Bishen Singh Bedi, former India hockey captain Ajit Pal Singh, Olympians Ashok Kumar, Sriram Singh, Rupa Saini and Inam-ur Rehman were among the host of celebrities who were present at the the DSJA-Hero Honda awards function.Ashwani Kumar, former president of the Indian Hockey Federation, presented the `Best Sportsman Trophy' for 1996 to Mansher Singh to set the tone for the entertaining evening, laced with nostalgia and glamour. Sunil Gavaskar honoured Pritam Thakran as the `Best Sportswoman' for 1996 while Bishen Singh Bedi presented the 1997 promising sportsman trophy to hockey international Gagan Ajit Singh. Leander Paes' special achievement award was received by his father and hockey Olympian Dr Vece Paes from Pawan Kant Munjal, managing director of Hero Honda Motors, the sponsors of the programme.Athlete Neelam Jaswant Singh received the Best Sportswoman's trophy for 1997 from hockey Olympian Ajitpal Singh, the captain of India's 1975 World Cup winning squad. Ashok Dhyan Chand, the dazzling forward of yesteryears, presented the best hockey player's award of 1997 to Rajiv Mishra, who had spearheaded the Indian campaign in the silver-medal winning show at last year's junior World Cup. Commonwealth Games gold medallist shooter Manavjit Singh was presented the 1996 promising junior award by Sriram Singh, the country's finest half-mile runner. Ritwik Bhattacharya, the Asian junior and national squash champion, shared the 1997 award for the promising junior with Gagan Ajit Singh.Inam-ur-Rehman, another hockey striker par excellence, provided the boys from Chotu Ram Zamindar School (Sonepat) a moment to cherish by presenting them the Best Team's trophy.
